thủ khoa
Definition
- Noun:
- Valedictorian / Top Graduate: The student who achieves the highest academic score in a graduating class or cohort from a university, college, or high school. This is the most common modern usage.
- Top Scorer / First Place: The candidate who achieves the highest score in a specific competitive examination or contest.
- Historical Champion: In the feudal imperial examination system, the scholar who ranked first in a regional examination (khoa thi hương).
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Cô ấy là thủ khoa của trường đại học năm nay. (She is the university's valedictorian this year.)
- Anh ấy đỗ thủ khoa kỳ thi đại học với số điểm rất cao. (He was the top scorer in the university entrance exam with a very high mark.)
- Ông Nguyễn Khuyến từng là thủ khoa trong khoa thi Hương. (Nguyễn Khuyến was once the top scholar in a regional imperial exam.)
Advanced Usage
- The title is often used in news headlines and formal recognition ceremonies.
- Lễ vinh danh thủ khoa tốt nghiệp. (The ceremony to honor the graduation valedictorians.)
- It can be used attributively before another noun.
- sinh viên thủ khoa (valedictorian student)
- thí sinh thủ khoa (top-scoring candidate)
Variants and Related Words
- Á khoa (n): The student/candidate who achieves the second-highest score (salutatorian).
- Bảng vàng (n): Literally "golden board"; a metaphorical term for the honor list of top graduates or high achievers, where a 's name would appear.
Synonyms
- Valedictorian: (Modern academic context) The highest-ranking student in a graduating class.
- Top Scorer: The person with the highest score in a test or exam.
- First Place Holder: The person who finishes first in a competition.
Related Idioms
- While there is no direct idiom with , achievement is often described with phrases like:
- Đỗ đầu: To pass/place first.
- Đứng đầu bảng: To stand at the top of the list/scoreboard.