nghiêng nước nghiêng thành

Vietnamese edit

Etymology edit

Calque of Chinese 傾國傾城／倾国倾城 (khuynh quốc khuynh thành).

Pronunciation edit

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ŋiəŋ˧˧ nɨək̚˧˦ ŋiəŋ˧˧ tʰajŋ̟˨˩]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [ŋiəŋ˧˧ nɨək̚˦˧˥ ŋiəŋ˧˧ tʰɛɲ˦˩]
(Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ŋiəŋ˧˧ nɨək̚˦˥ ŋiəŋ˧˧ tʰan˨˩]

Adjective edit

nghiêng nước nghiêng thành

(archaic, idiomatic, of a human beauty) extremely beautiful and attractive
- 1820, Nguyễn Du (阮攸), Đoạn trường tân thanh (Truyện Kiều)‎^[1], published 1866, lines 27–28:
  󰜋(Một)堆(đôi)迎(nghiêng)渃(nước)迎(nghiêng)城(thành)
  色(Sắc)停(đành)隊(đòi)没(một)才(tài)停(đành)和(hoạ)𠄩(hai)
  One smile could rock a fortress and two a nation.
  Other girls might have comparable talents,
  but none could compare to her beauty’s perfection.

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