vọng canh
Definition
- Noun:
- Watchtower; guard post: A tall structure or small building, often at a high point or on a wall, from which a sentinel keeps watch for danger, intruders, or fires.
- Sentry box; lookout post: A small, sheltered stand for a guard or sentry.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Lính canh đứng trong vọng canh. (The guard stands in the watchtower.)
- Người ta xây một vọng canh trên tường thành. (They built a watchtower on the fortress wall.)
- Anh ấy quan sát từ vọng canh. (He observes from the lookout post.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "vọng canh" is classical and is often found in historical, literary, or formal contexts describing ancient citadels, military installations, or prisons.
Variants and Related Words
Tháp canh (n): watchtower, observation tower. A more modern and common term.
- Tháp canh của lính cứu hỏa rất cao. (The fire lookout tower is very tall.)
Chòi canh (n): guard hut, lookout post. Often implies a simpler, smaller structure.
- Chòi canh nằm ở góc rừng. (The guard hut is located at the corner of the forest.)
Synonyms
- Watchtower: A tower from which observation is kept.
- Lookout post: A place for observing a surrounding area.
- Sentry box: A small shelter for a standing sentry.
Related Idioms
- While "vọng canh" itself is not commonly used in idioms, its function is central to the idiom "mắt tinh hơn cả lính canh vọng" (eyes sharper than a watchtower guard's), praising someone's exceptional vigilance or observational skills.