thoạt kì thuỷ
Definition
- 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...).