sương mai
Definition
Noun:
- Morning dew: The moisture that condenses on cool surfaces during the night or early morning, often seen as tiny water droplets on grass, leaves, or spiderwebs.
- A poetic term for dawn or early morning: Used in literature to evoke the imagery and fresh, delicate atmosphere of the early part of the day.
Noun (Botany, Agriculture):
- Peronospora: A genus of filamentous protists (oomycetes) that are plant pathogens, causing downy mildew diseases. This is a specialized scientific usage.
Usage Examples
Noun (Morning dew):
- Trên lá cỏ còn đọng những hạt sương mai. (Drops of morning dew still cling to the blades of grass.)
- Sương mai lấp lánh dưới ánh mặt trời. (The morning dew sparkles in the sunlight.)
Noun (Poetic):
- Chào đón một ngày mới trong làn sương mai. (Greet a new day in the morning mist/dawn.)
- Bình minh lên với màn sương mai mỏng manh. (The sunrise comes with a delicate veil of dawn mist.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is predominantly used in poetic, literary, or descriptive contexts to convey beauty, tranquility, and the freshness of early day. Its use in everyday conversation is less common and would be considered lyrical.
Variants and Related Words
Sương (n): fog, mist, dew. The general term for atmospheric moisture condensation.
- Sương mù (n): fog.
- Sương giá (n): frost.
Mai (n, poetic): morning, dawn. Often found in compound poetic terms.
- Bình minh (n): sunrise, dawn (more common).
Synonyms
- Morning dew: dawn dew.
- Dawn: daybreak, sunrise (in its poetic sense).
- Downy mildew: Peronospora (in its botanical sense).
Related Idioms and Phrases
Ướt đẫm sương mai: Drenched in morning dew.
- Cánh đồng hoa ướt đẫm sương mai. (The flower field is drenched in morning dew.)
Trong trẻo như sương mai: As pure/fresh as the morning dew (a common simile in poetry and songs).
- Giọng hát cô ấy trong trẻo như sương mai. (Her singing voice is as clear and fresh as the morning dew.)