trường quan, cống sĩ

Definition

1. Historical Compound Noun:
   • The officialdom and the provincial graduates: A traditional term referring collectively to the sphere of government officials ("quan trường") and the scholars who had passed the provincial-level examinations ("cống sĩ" or "cử nhân"), who were then eligible to take the metropolitan examinations.

Usage Examples

• Historical Compound Noun:
  • Trường quan, cống sĩ là tầng lớp tinh hoa của xã hội phong kiến. (The officialdom and provincial graduates were the elite class of feudal society.)
  • Kỳ thi Hội quy tụ đông đảo trường quan, cống sĩ từ khắp các tỉnh. (The Metropolitan Examination gathered a large number of officials and provincial graduates from all provinces.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is primarily used in historical or literary contexts to describe the scholarly-official class in pre-modern Vietnam, specifically during the period of the imperial examination system.

Variants and Related Words

• Quan trường (n): The officialdom; the arena of mandarins and government service.

  • Ông ấy đã trải qua nhiều thăng trầm trong quan trường. (He experienced many ups and downs in the officialdom.)

• Cống sĩ (n): A provincial graduate; a scholar who passed the thi Hương (Provincial Examination) and earned the title cử nhân.

  • Sau khi đỗ cống sĩ, ông lên kinh đô dự thi Hội. (After becoming a provincial graduate, he went to the capital to take the Metropolitan Examination.)

Synonyms

• The mandarinate and literati: The body of officials and educated scholars.
• Officials and graduates: A direct descriptive synonym.

Related Idioms

• Bước chân vào trường quan: To step into the officialdom (to begin a career as a mandarin).
  • Sau khi đỗ đạt, anh ta chính thức bước chân vào trường quan. (After passing the exams, he officially stepped into the officialdom.)