tử khí
Definition
- Noun:
- Deathly aura / atmosphere of death: A cold, eerie, or oppressive atmosphere associated with death, corpses, or places where death has occurred. It implies a palpable, often chilling, sense of mortality.
- Cadaveric emanation: A more literal, physical sense referring to the vapors or miasma believed to emanate from a dead body.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Căn phòng đó toát ra một thứ tử khí lạnh lẽo. (That room exudes a cold, deathly aura.)
- Sau trận chiến, tử khí bao trùm cả cánh đồng. (After the battle, an atmosphere of death enveloped the field.)
- Trong truyền thuyết, tử khí từ ngôi mộ cổ khiến cây cối héo úa. (In legend, the cadaveric emanation from the ancient tomb caused the plants to wither.)
Advanced Usage
- Often used in literary, historical, or superstitious contexts to describe a place, situation, or feeling permeated by the presence or aftermath of death. It is not typically used in modern scientific or casual conversation.
Variants and Related Words
- Khí chất (n): temperament, quality.
- Sát khí (n): aura of killing intent; bloodlust (often used in martial arts contexts).
- Âm khí (n): Yin energy; cold, negative, or ghostly atmosphere.
Synonyms
- Deathly aura
- Miasma (especially for the physical emanation sense)
- Pall of death
- Stench of death (more figurative)
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Tử khí xung thiên: (Deathly aura soaring to the sky) An idiom describing an overwhelming, pervasive atmosphere of death, often from a battlefield or massacre.
- Chiến trường sau trận đánh, tử khí xung thiên. (The battlefield after the fight was filled with an overwhelming aura of death.)