tu tiên

Một đạo sĩ tu tiên trong núi cao.

Definition

1. Noun (Proper):
   • Cultivation to become an immortal: A core concept in Taoist philosophy and East Asian mythology, particularly in Chinese and Vietnamese culture, referring to the practice of spiritual and physical disciplines aimed at achieving immortality, transcendence, and supernatural powers.
   • Xianxia genre: A modern literary and media genre (fantasy fiction) originating from China, where the central plot involves characters practicing cultivation ("tu tiên") to gain power, longevity, and ascend to higher states of being, often involving martial arts, magic, and mythical realms.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Theo truyền thuyết, các đạo sĩ trên núi tu tiên để trường sinh bất lão. (According to legend, the Taoist priests on the mountain practiced cultivation to become immortal.)
  • Truyện tu tiên Trung Quốc rất được giới trẻ Việt Nam yêu thích. (Chinese Xianxia novels are very popular among Vietnamese youth.)
  • Anh ấy đọc rất nhiều tiểu thuyết về đề tài tu tiên. (He reads a lot of novels on the theme of cultivation.)

Advanced Usage

• "Tu tiên giả" or "Tu đạo giả": A cultivator; a person who practices "tu tiên".

  • Trong truyện, nhân vật chính là một tu tiên giả trẻ tuổi đầy tiềm năng. (In the story, the main character is a young cultivator with great potential.)

• "Thế giới tu tiên": The cultivation world; the fictional universe in Xianxia where the rules of cultivation govern society and power.

  • Bộ phim này xây dựng một thế giới tu tiên vô cùng phức tạp và đẫm máu. (This film builds an extremely complex and bloody cultivation world.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tu Đạo (v/n): To cultivate the Tao/Way; a broader term for spiritual practice, often used interchangeably with "tu tiên" but can have a wider philosophical scope.

  • Cả đời ông ấy dành để tu đạo. (He devoted his whole life to cultivating the Way.)

• Tiên (n): Immortal; a celestial being or the state of immortality that is the goal of "tu tiên".

  • Cô ước mơ một ngày được thành tiên. (She dreams of one day becoming an immortal.)

Synonyms

• Cultivation: The practice of refining one's spirit and body for transcendence (direct translation of the modern genre context).
• Ascetic practice (Taoist): Rigorous self-discipline for spiritual goals, often in a Taoist context.
• Xianxia: The name of the modern fantasy genre itself.

Related Concepts and Idioms

• Độ kiếp: To overcome a heavenly tribulation; a common trial or catastrophe cultivators must survive to advance to a higher level of power in Xianxia stories.

  • Để đột phá, hắn phải trải qua một lần độ kiếp. (To break through, he had to undergo a heavenly tribulation.)

• Luyện khí, Trúc cơ, Kết đan...: Common named stages in the cultivation process (e.g., Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation).

  • Nhân vật chính đang ở giai đoạn luyện khí tầng chín. (The main character is at the ninth level of the Qi Refining stage.)