thưởng ngoạn
Definition
- Verb:
- To appreciate / to enjoy (visually): To look at something, especially a beautiful scene or work of art, with focused attention and pleasure, deriving aesthetic enjoyment from it.
- To contemplate with delight: To take one's time to observe and savor the beauty of something.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Du khách dừng chân để thưởng ngoạn cảnh hoàng hôn. (Tourists stopped to appreciate the sunset.)
- Ông ấy thích thưởng ngoạn các tác phẩm điêu khắc cổ. (He enjoys contemplating ancient sculptures.)
- Chúng tôi ngồi trên đồi, thưởng ngoạn toàn cảnh thành phố. (We sat on the hill, taking in the panoramic view of the city.)
Advanced Usage
- The word carries a formal and literary tone, often used in written language or refined speech to describe a deep, thoughtful, and pleasurable act of observation.
- It implies a level of cultural or aesthetic sophistication in the act of enjoyment.
Variants and Related Words
- Thưởng thức (v): To enjoy, to savor (can apply to food, drink, art, or music in a broader sense than just visual).
- Thưởng thức một bản nhạc. (To enjoy a piece of music.)
- Ngắm (v): To look at, to view (a more general and common term for looking, with less emphasis on deep appreciation).
- Ngắm cảnh. (To view the scenery.)
Synonyms
- Appreciate: To recognize the full worth and beauty of something.
- Contemplate: To look at thoughtfully for a long time.
- Admire: To regard with pleasure and respect.
- Take in (a view): To observe and appreciate a vista.
Related Idioms
- Thưởng ngoạn phong cảnh: A common phrase meaning "to enjoy the scenery" or "to take in the landscape."
- Chuyến du thuyền là cơ hội tuyệt vời để thưởng ngoạn phong cảnh. (The cruise was a perfect opportunity to enjoy the scenery.)