thám hoa
Definition
- Noun:
- Third-place laureate in the imperial examinations: In the historical Vietnamese and Chinese imperial examination system, "Thám Hoa" was the title awarded to the scholar who achieved the third-highest score in the final palace examination (thi Đình), directly below the Trạng Nguyên (first-place) and Bảng Nhãn (second-place). Together, these three top scholars were called the "Tam Khôi" (Three Laureates).
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Ông ấy đỗ Thám Hoa dưới triều vua Tự Đức. (He achieved the title of Thám Hoa under Emperor Tự Đức's reign.)
- Trạng Nguyên, Bảng Nhãn và Thám Hoa được vua ban yến tiệc. (The Trạng Nguyên, Bảng Nhãn, and Thám Hoa were feasted by the king.)
Advanced Usage
- The title is primarily historical and used in contexts discussing pre-modern education, Confucian scholarly traditions, and historical figures.
- It can be used metaphorically in modern contexts to praise someone who achieves an excellent, though not the absolute top, result in a highly competitive field (e.g., academics, competitions).
Variants and Related Words
- Tam Khôi (n): The Three Laureates; the collective term for the top three scholars: Trạng Nguyên (first), Bảng Nhãn (second), and Thám Hoa (third).
- Trạng Nguyên (n): The first-place laureate in the imperial examinations.
- Bảng Nhãn (n): The second-place laureate in the imperial examinations.
- Thi Đình (n): The palace examination, the final and highest level of the imperial exams.
Synonyms
- Third laureate: The scholar who placed third.
- Third-ranked doctoral candidate: A descriptive synonym referencing the high level (doctorate) of the exam.
Related Idioms
- Đỗ Trạng, đỗ Bảng, đỗ Thám: A phrase referencing success in the highest exams, meaning to achieve the top scholarly honors.