Definition

1. Adverb (Literary/Archaic):
   • At the very beginning; initially; at first: Used to describe the starting point or the original state of an event, situation, or narrative. It carries a formal, literary, and somewhat archaic tone.

Usage Examples

• Adverb:
  • Thoạt kì thuỷ, vũ trụ chỉ là một khối hỗn độn. (At the very beginning, the universe was just a chaotic mass.)
  • Thoạt kì thuỷ, ông ấy không hề có ý định đó. (Initially, he had no such intention.)
  • Câu chuyện thoạt kì thuỷ nghe có vẻ đơn giản. (The story at first seemed simple.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is primarily found in classical Vietnamese literature, historical texts, philosophical writings, or formal speeches to lend a sense of gravitas and antiquity to the narrative. It is rarely used in modern, everyday conversation.

Variants and Related Words

• Thoạt tiên (adv): at first, initially. A slightly more common literary synonym.

  • Thoạt tiên, mọi việc đều suôn sẻ. (At first, everything went smoothly.)

• Ban đầu (adv): at the beginning, initially. The standard, modern equivalent.

  • Ban đầu, tôi không hiểu. (Initially, I didn't understand.)

Synonyms

• Initially: at the beginning.
• At first: at the start.
• Originally: as existed at the start.
• In the beginning: at the initial stage.

Related Idioms

• While "thoạt kì thuỷ" itself is not typically part of a longer idiom, its meaning is central to many classical narrative structures that discuss origins, such as (At the very beginning, heaven and earth were not yet separated...).