thân chinh
Definition
- Verb:
- To personally lead a military campaign: Refers specifically to a monarch or supreme leader personally commanding and leading troops into battle.
- To personally attend to or handle a matter: To undertake an important task or investigation oneself, without delegation, emphasizing direct, hands-on involvement.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Vua Lê Thánh Tông nhiều lần thân chinh dẹp loạn phương Nam. (King Le Thanh Tong many times personally led campaigns to pacify the southern region.)
- Giám đốc thân chinh đến hiện trường để chỉ đạo công tác cứu hộ. (The director personally went to the scene to direct the rescue work.)
- Nhà vua quyết định thân chinh ra trận. (The king decided to personally take to the battlefield.)
Advanced Usage
- The term carries a formal, historical, or literary tone, often associated with royal or high-level authority. In modern extended use, it humorously or respectfully emphasizes someone in authority dealing with a matter directly.
- Ông chủ tịch tỉnh thân chinh đi kiểm tra dự án. (The provincial chairman personally went to inspect the project.)
Variants and Related Words
- Thân hành (verb): A close synonym meaning to personally go or personally do something.
- Ngài ấy thân hành đến thăm các nạn nhân. (He personally visited the victims.)
Synonyms
- To personally command (military context).
- To personally lead.
- To personally attend to.
- To take matters into one's own hands.
Related Idioms
- While "thân chinh" itself is not typically part of a longer idiom, its usage evokes the concept of "taking the field oneself," mirroring the English idea of a leader being "in the field" or "on the front lines."