thiên hương
Definition
Noun (Literary):
- Celestial fragrance; heavenly scent: A literal translation referring to an exquisite, divine aroma, as if from heaven.
- A woman of peerless beauty: A classical literary term used to describe a woman whose beauty is so exceptional it seems bestowed by heaven, often paired with "quốc sắc" (national beauty).
Noun (Figurative, Classical):
- Extraordinary talent; genius: Used to metaphorically describe a person, historically often a scholar or artist, with brilliant, heaven-sent talent or ability.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Người ta ví nàng như một đóa hoa quốc sắc thiên hương. (People compare her to a flower of national beauty and celestial fragrance.)
- Thiên hương của nàng khiến ai cũng phải ngẩn ngơ. (Her heavenly beauty left everyone in awe.)
- Vị trạng nguyên ấy thật sự là một bậc thiên hương của đất nước. (That top scholar is truly a genius [heavenly talent] of the country.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is almost exclusively found in classical or poetic Vietnamese contexts and is rarely used in modern everyday speech.
- It is most commonly seen in the fixed four-word idiom "quốc sắc thiên hương" (国色天香), which originates from Chinese poetry and means "national beauty, celestial fragrance," describing a woman of supreme, unmatched beauty.
Variants and Related Words
- Quốc sắc thiên hương (idiom): The standard, fixed phrase meaning "a woman of peerless beauty."
- Truyền thuyết kể về một giai nhân quốc sắc thiên hương. (The legend tells of a great beauty of peerless charm.)
Synonyms
- Peerless beauty: Beauty without equal.
- Divine beauty: Beauty of a heavenly or spiritual quality.
- Genius (for the talent meaning): Exceptional intellectual or creative power.
Related Idioms
- Quốc sắc thiên hương: National beauty and celestial fragrance; a woman of supreme beauty.
- Sắc đẹp quốc sắc thiên hương của bà đã trở thành huyền thoại. (Her peerless beauty has become a legend.)