Definition

1. Noun:
   • Favorable weather conditions; opportune time: "Thiên thời" refers to advantageous weather or climatic conditions, or more broadly, a timely opportunity or favorable moment. It is a key concept in traditional Vietnamese thought, often paired with "địa lợi" (favorable terrain) and "nhân hòa" (human harmony).
   • (Archaic) Seasonal epidemic: In older usage, "thiên thời" could also refer to diseases or epidemics that occur according to the season or weather patterns.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Muốn thành công cần có thiên thời, địa lợi, nhân hòa. (To succeed, one needs favorable conditions [timing], advantageous terrain, and human harmony.)
  • Nhờ có thiên thời, mùa màng năm nay bội thu. (Thanks to the favorable weather, this year's harvest is abundant.)
  • (Archaic) Dân làng lo sợ vì bệnh thiên thời. (The villagers were fearful because of the seasonal epidemic.)

Advanced Usage

• "Thiên thời địa lợi nhân hòa": A classical triad representing the three fundamental factors for success: favorable timing/conditions, geographical advantage, and popular support/unity.
  • Chiến thắng ấy có được là nhờ hội đủ thiên thời địa lợi nhân hòa. (That victory was achieved because it fully possessed favorable timing, advantageous terrain, and human harmony.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thời cơ (noun): Opportunity, chance. (Focuses more on the temporal aspect of an opportunity rather than climatic conditions).
• Thời tiết thuận lợi (phrase): Favorable weather. (A more direct and modern way to express the weather-related aspect of "thiên thời").

Synonyms

• Thời cơ thuận lợi: Favorable opportunity.
• Vận may: Fortune, luck. (More general, not specifically tied to conditions or timing).
• Thời thế: The trend of the times, current situation. (Broader, focusing on the general circumstances of an era).

Related Phrases

• Được thiên thời: To have favorable conditions/timing on one's side.
  • Đội bóng đó được thiên thời khi trời mưa làm chậm nhịp độ đối thủ. (That team had favorable conditions when the rain slowed down the opponent's pace.)

Related Idioms

• "Thiên thời không bằng địa lợi, địa lợi không bằng nhân hòa": A proverb meaning "Favorable timing is not as good as advantageous terrain, advantageous terrain is not as good as human harmony." It emphasizes the supreme importance of unity and people's support over material or conditional advantages.
  • Công ty hiểu rõ: thiên thời không bằng địa lợi, địa lợi không bằng nhân hòa, nên luôn chú trọng đến phúc lợi nhân viên. (The company understands that harmony is paramount, so it always focuses on employee welfare.)

noun

1. clement weather