tân kì
Definition
- Adjective:
- Novel, newfangled: Describes something that is strikingly new, modern, or original in style, form, or concept. It often carries a connotation of being freshly introduced and different from the old or conventional.
- Fashionable, avant-garde: Refers to something that is not only new but also stylishly advanced or cutting-edge, often in the context of trends, ideas, or designs.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Phong cách kiến trúc này trông rất tân kì. (This architectural style looks very novel.)
- Cô ấy luôn tìm kiếm những ý tưởng tân kì cho bộ sưu tập. (She is always looking for avant-garde ideas for her collection.)
- Đó là một thiết bị tân kì chưa từng thấy trên thị trường. (That is a newfangled device never before seen on the market.)
Advanced Usage
- The word is often used to describe innovations in art, technology, fashion, or thought that break from tradition.
- It can sometimes imply a sense of wonder or surprise at the newness, but may also carry a slightly skeptical tone about something being new or untested.
Variants and Related Words
- Tân thời (adj): Modern, contemporary. Focuses more on being of the current time rather than on striking novelty.
- Trang phục tân thời (Modern clothing).
Synonyms
- Novel: New and not resembling something formerly known.
- Avant-garde: New and experimental ideas, especially in the arts.
- Innovative: Featuring new methods; advanced and original.
- Newfangled: (Often somewhat disapproving) Different from what one is used to; objectionably new.
Related Idioms
- While "tân kì" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it is conceptually related to phrases about innovation and change.
- Đổi mới: To renovate, to innovate. This verb phrase describes the act of making something new and is related in theme, though not a direct synonym.