thu thuá»·
Definition
- Noun (Literary, Archaic):
- Autumn water: A direct, literal meaning referring to the water of autumn, typically evoking an image of clear, calm, or limpid water characteristic of the season.
- Beautiful eyes (of a woman): A metaphorical and classical literary term used to poetically describe a beautiful woman's eyes, comparing their clarity, depth, and sparkle to autumn water.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Trong thơ cổ, "thu thuỷ" thường ví với đôi mắt long lanh. (In classical poetry, "thu thuỷ" is often compared to sparkling eyes.)
- Câu thơ "làn thu thuỷ nét xuân sơn" miêu tả vẻ đẹp của Thuý Kiều. (The verse "a glance like autumn water, eyebrows like spring mountains" describes the beauty of Thuy Kieu.)
Advanced Usage
- This term is almost exclusively found in classical Vietnamese poetry and literature, particularly in works like (The Tale of Kieu) by Nguyễn Du. It is a fixed, poetic epithet and is not used in modern conversational Vietnamese.
Variants and Related Words
- Xuân sơn (n): Spring mountains. Often paired with "thu thuỷ" in the classical couplet to describe beautiful eyebrows.
- Mắt thu (n): Autumn eyes. A modern, simplified poetic reference to beautiful eyes, inspired by the classical term.
Synonyms
- Beautiful eyes: Lovely, attractive eyes (general modern term).
- Limpid eyes: Clear, transparent eyes (poetic).
- Sparkling eyes: Shining, bright eyes.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- "Làn thu thuỷ, nét xuân sơn": A famous poetic line meaning "A glance like autumn water, eyebrows like spring mountains." It is a standard, proverbial description of ideal feminine beauty in classical literature.