trăng khuyết
Definition
- Noun:
- A crescent moon: The phase of the moon when less than half of its near side is illuminated by the sun, appearing as a thin, curved sliver of light. This term can refer to either the waxing crescent (before the first quarter) or the waning crescent (after the last quarter).
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Bầu trời đêm chỉ có một mảnh trăng khuyết. (The night sky held only a sliver of a crescent moon.)
- Trăng khuyết đầu tháng thường mọc vào buổi chiều. (The early month crescent moon often rises in the afternoon.)
- Ánh sáng yếu ớt của trăng khuyết chiếu xuống mặt hồ. (The faint light of the crescent moon shone down on the lake surface.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "trăng khuyết" is often used in poetry and literature to evoke feelings of melancholy, impermanence, incompleteness, or delicate beauty, contrasting with the full moon ("trăng tròn") which symbolizes fullness and perfection.
Variants and Related Words
- Trăng lưỡi liềm (n): A more descriptive synonym for a very thin crescent moon, explicitly comparing its shape to a sickle or crescent blade.
- Trăng non (n): Specifically refers to the waxing crescent moon seen shortly after the new moon.
- Trăng tàn (n): Refers to the waning crescent moon seen just before the new moon.
Synonyms
- Crescent moon: The primary synonym, describing the curved shape of the illuminated part.
- Waxing/waning crescent: More specific astronomical terms indicating whether the moon is growing toward a full moon or shrinking toward a new moon.
Related Idioms and Cultural References
- While not a standalone idiom, "trăng khuyết" is a common symbolic image. A related concept is the cycle of "trăng tròn rồi lại trăng khuyết" (the moon waxes and wanes), used to express the natural and inevitable cycles of change, fortune, or emotions in life.