thi hội
Definition
- Noun:
- National Examination: In feudal Vietnam, the "thi hội" was the national-level civil service examination held in the capital. It was the second in a series of major exams, taken by those who had already passed the provincial-level "thi hương" (examination for the title of cử nhân or Bachelor).
- Metropolitan Examination: A historical term referring to the imperial examination at the capital, the successful candidates of which would earn the title of tiến sĩ (Doctorate) and be eligible for the final palace examination (thi đình).
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Sau khi đỗ cử nhân, ông ấy lên kinh đô dự thi hội. (After passing the provincial exam, he went to the capital to take the National Examination.)
- Thi hội là kỳ thi quan trọng dưới thời phong kiến. (The Metropolitan Examination was an important test during the feudal era.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is primarily historical and academic, used to describe the pre-modern Vietnamese education and mandarin selection system. It is often discussed in the context of the "khoa cử" (examination) system.
Variants and Related Words
- Thi đình (n): The Palace Examination, the final exam presided over by the emperor, which determined the highest ranks like (first-rank doctoral laureate).
- Thi hương (n): The Provincial Examination, the first major exam in the system, which conferred the title of .
- Khoa cử (n): The imperial examination system as a whole.
Synonyms
- National exam: A general term for a country-wide examination.
- Metropolitan exam: An exam held in the capital city.
Related Idioms
- Lều chõng đi thi: Refers to the act of candidates carrying their own tents and cooking pots to examination camps; it evokes the arduous journey and life of examination candidates, which included those taking the .