Definition

1. Noun:
   • The third watch of the night: In the traditional Vietnamese division of the night into five watches ("canh"), "tam canh" specifically refers to the third watch. This period corresponds roughly to the time from around 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Tiếng trống điểm tam canh vang lên trong đêm yên tĩnh. (The drum marking the third watch sounded in the quiet night.)
  • Đến tam canh, mọi người đều đã chìm vào giấc ngủ. (By the third watch, everyone had already fallen asleep.)

Advanced Usage

• Poetic/Literary Usage: "Tam canh" is often used in poetry and classical literature to evoke a sense of deep night, solitude, or a specific moment in time.
  • Thức đọc sách đến tận tam canh. (Stayed up reading until the third watch.)

Variants and Related Words

• Canh (n): A watch (a period of the night).
• Nhất canh (n): The first watch (approx. 7-9 PM).
• Nhị canh (n): The second watch (approx. 9-11 PM).
• Tứ canh (n): The fourth watch (approx. 1-3 AM).
• Ngũ canh (n): The fifth watch (approx. 3-5 AM).

Synonyms

• Canh ba: The third watch (a direct synonym).
• Middle of the night: A general, non-traditional equivalent.

Related Idioms

• Khuya khoắt canh ba: An idiom emphasizing the lateness and stillness of the night, often translated as "in the dead of night."
  • Công việc kéo dài đến khuya khoắt canh ba. (The work lasted until the dead of night.)