tương khắc
Definition
- Verb:
- To be mutually incompatible; to be in conflict; to clash: Describes a state where two or more entities (people, elements, concepts) are fundamentally opposed or contradictory, leading to disharmony, friction, or a negative influence on each other.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Tính cách hai người đó hoàn toàn tương khắc. (The personalities of those two people are completely incompatible.)
- Theo ngũ hành, Thủy và Hỏa tương khắc. (According to the Five Elements, Water and Fire are in conflict.)
- Hai bên không hợp tác được vì quan điểm tương khắc. (The two sides cannot cooperate because their viewpoints clash.)
Advanced Usage
- In Philosophy and Traditional Beliefs: The term is central to the East Asian concept of the Five Elements (Ngũ hành), describing the "mutual conquest" or "destructive" cycle (e.g., Metal conquers/chops Wood, Wood conquers/roots in Earth, etc.). This describes a natural order of control and conflict.
- Mối quan hệ tương khắc trong ngũ hành là một chu kỳ kiểm soát. (The conflict relationship in the Five Elements is a cycle of control.)
Variants and Related Words
- Khắc (v): to conflict with; to be ill-fated for; to engrave. A root word carrying the core meaning of opposition or marking.
- Tuổi của bố mẹ không khắc con. (The parents' zodiac signs do not conflict with their child's.)
- Tương sinh (v): to be mutually generative; to foster each other. This is the direct antonym of within systems like the Five Elements.
Synonyms
- Conflict: to be in opposition or disagreement.
- Clash: to conflict or be incompatible.
- Be incompatible: not able to exist or work together in harmony.
- Be mutually destructive: causing harm or damage to each other.
Related Concepts
- Ngũ hành tương khắc: The Five-Element conflict cycle. This is a specific doctrinal application of the term.
- Xung khắc (v): to clash or conflict (often used similarly to , but can imply a more direct or acute opposition).