OK

hủy bỏ

antonym(s) of “dismissal of a dialog box or confirmation of a prompt”

(informal) OK, okay (acknowledgement or acceptance)

(computing) OK, okay (dismissal of a dialog box or confirmation of a prompt)


啊

啊困碎！

Nôm form of a (“Used in the beginning of a sentence to indicate questioning: ah, oh, ha”).


à

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Jessica Nguyen (Pamputt)-à.wav


hai

Borrowed from English hi (“hello”).
Further reinforced/contaminated by the coincidental usage of "two" (see etymology above) fingers when making V sign, therefore Vietnamese speakers would likely make V signs when being told to say "hai"/hi when photographed.


a-lô

[ʔaː˧˧ lo˧˧]

[ʔaː˧˧ low˧˧]

[ʔaː˧˧ low˧˧]

From French allô/allo, from English hello.

Peter. Phước yêu… Alô? Alô, anh còn đó không?

2012, Joe Ruelle, “Chuyện Linh và Lucy [Linh or Lucy?]”, in Ngược chiều vun vút [Whooshing toward the Other Way]:

Peter. Phước dear… Hello? Hello, you're still there?

(telephony) hello (when answering the telephone)


hic

Onomatopoeia, from the sobbing sound. Compare hức (“sob; hic”).

(comics, Internet slang) dang; darn; aw man; man


ơ

Ơ, sao lại thế?

Ơ… thằng này láo nhỉ!


gì

From Middle Vietnamese gì. Related to chi; cognate with Muong chi.

An interrogative expression nearly equivalent to “What?”


tá

15th century, Lê Thánh Tông, “Núi Góa [Lonely Mountain]” in Hồng Đức Quốc Âm thi tập (Collection of Poems in Our Nation's Language), folio 37a
細(Tới)𫢩歲(nay)㐌(tuổi)包(đã)饒(bao)些(nhiêu)
擲(tá)擲(Trạnh)𥾽(trạnh)肝(bền)渚(gan)𥙩(chửa)𫯳
Now how old are ye? Ye remain so unwaveringly and resolutely unmarried.

Trần Tế Xương, “Vợ Chồng Ngâu (Mr. & Mrs. Ngâu)” in Vị Thành Giai Cú tập biên (《渭城佳句摺編》 "Collection of Vị Thành's Belle Phrases")
𫨩羅(Hay)𢜝(là)悶(sợ)𫯳庄(muộn)佐(chồng)
唏(chăng)󰜋(tá)𦓡(Hơi)挸(đâu)𩵜(mà)撰(kén)羮(cá)
Or was she so afraid of being married late that she didn't bother to be choosy?

An expression of inquisitiveness or emotionality


coi

vi-interjection

瑰, 䁛, 𥋳, 𫀢, 𩲡

(colloquial, chiefly Central Vietnam and Southern Vietnam) [Look at yourself!] What the heck are you doin'?


cu

From Proto-Vietic *t-kuː (“dove”); ultimately onomatopoeic. Cognate with Kha Phong təkuː¹. Compare Thai เขา (kǎo), Chinese 鳩 (OC *[k](r)u) (B-S), Burmese ခို (hkui), English coo.
This is the form without both diphthongization and lenition. Also in common use are câu, bồ câu, both with diphthongization. The form gâu (in chim gâu) with both diphthongization and lenition is also attested.


á

An expression of sudden pain or uttered under shock.


a

A mẹ đã về!

A, mình nhớ ra rồi!

An expression of happiness, surprise or of a sudden remembrance of something.


cú

From Proto-Vietic *kuːʔ, of imitative origin. Compare Proto-Tai *ɡawꟲ (“owl”) (whence Thai เค้า (káo), Lao ເຄົ້າ (khao)), Chinese 鵂 (OC *qʰ(r)u), 鴞 (OC *[ɢ]ʷ(r)aw) (B-S).


hí

head

hí • (咥, 唏, 嘻)

vi-int

hí • (咥, 唏, 嘻)


ái

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Jessica Nguyen (Pamputt)-ái.wav


歡迎

chữ Hán form of hoan nghênh (“welcome”).


chào

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 朝 (“to meet; to meet a senior person; to attend the emperor's audience”, SV: triều). Doublet of chầu and triều. (Nguyễn Văn Khang. Từ ngoại lai trong tiếng Việt, 2007)
False cognate of Italian ciao, which also means both "hello" and "goodbye".

der

SV: <i class="Latn mention" lang="vi">triều</i>

vi-etym-sino

Chào! Ăn thua gì!


chài

(Internet slang, uncommon) Alternative form of trời (“gosh; darn”)


hù

boo (a loud exclamation intended to scare someone)


nè

Southern Vietnam form of này (“hey!; hold up!”)


xí

(Southern Vietnam) Indicating mild discontent or disgust: ugh! huh! fie! hell!


困難

chữ Hán form of khốn nạn (“(offensive) Damn! Shit!”).


có

head

có • (固, 古, 故, 𣎏)

vi-interjection

có • (固, 古, 故, 𣎏)

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Jessica Nguyen (Pamputt)-có.wav

From Proto-Vietic *kɔːʔ (“to have”). Cognate with Muong cỏ.

Bạn có biết chúng ta chỉ sử dụng 10% não bộ?
Có, và đó là chuyện nhảm nhí.
Did you know we only use 10% of our brain?
Yes, and that's utter nonsense.

Các bạn có muốn được nghỉ sớm không?
Có!
Do you want to go home early?
Heck yeah!

(in response to a roll call) here; I'm here; present


rồi

acknowledges an item in a list of requests, such as when taking an order


多謝

chữ Hán form of đa tạ (“thank you very much”).


trời

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Jessica Nguyen (Pamputt)-trời.wav

From Proto-Vietic *b-ləːj (“sky”), from Proto-Mon-Khmer *briiʔ (“sky, rain”). Compare also Muong tlời and Chut [Rục] pləːj².
This particular form is originally the Central-Southern form. The Northern forms include giời from the inland dialects, and lời and tời from the coastal dialects. Both of the coastal Northern forms had already disappeared or are highly endangered since the early 20th century, leaving giời as the representative Northern form, although even this form is losing ground to the written form.
Attested in Phật thuyết đại báo phụ mẫu ân trọng kinh (佛說大報父母恩重經) as 𫶸, composed of 巴 (MC pae) + 例 (MC ljejH) (modern SV: ba lệ), 婆例 (MC ba ljejH) (modern SV: bà lệ) and 婆雷 (MC ba lwoj) (modern SV: bà lôi). Attested in the Annan Jishi (安南即事, 13th century) as 勃耒 (MC bwot lwijX|lwojH).

Trời, sao lại làm như thế?

Good Lord, what did (you/he/she/it) do that for?


không

Borrowed from Chinese 空 (“empty, nothing, none”). This is now the main negator in Vietnamese and, in formal writing, virtually the only negator; however, see the list of other negators at the end of the entry.
The grammaticalization of không into a negative particle began in the 17th century and coincided with the numerous arrivals of Western businessmen in Vietnam. Because the quantifier "zero" is often used in the context of business, a relationship between "zero" and the verbal particle không was established. The development from "empty, vacant" into the numeral "zero" can also been seen in many Southern Min varieties, as well as Korean 공 (gong).
In the beginning of the 20th century, không replaced the original chief negator chẳng of native Vietnamese origin, coinciding with the establishment of French colonial rule over Vietnam.


tạm biệt

[taːm˧˨ʔ ʔɓiət̚˧˨ʔ]

[taːm˨˩ʔ ʔɓiək̚˨˩ʔ]

[taːm˨˩˨ ʔɓiək̚˨˩˨]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 暫別, composed of 暫 (“temporary”) and 別 (“to leave”).

vi-etym-sino

(formal or literary) farewell; till we meet again


đéo

head

đéo • (鳥, 㨶, 𡡅, 𦛉)

vi-int

đéo • (鳥, 㨶, 𡡅, 𦛉)

Borrowed from Cantonese 屌 (diu2), or a direct, non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 鳥 (SV: điểu). Compare đểu.

der

SV: <i class="Latn mention" lang="vi">điểu</i>

vi-etym-sino

Đưa đây cho tao!

Đéo!


cứt

From Proto-Vietic *kəc ~ *kɨc (“faeces”), from Proto-Mon-Khmer *ʔic ~ *ʔiə(c) ~ *ʔ(ə)c (“excrement; faeces”). Cognate with Muong Bi kếch (“rusty”), Arem kʉc, Khmer អាចម៍ (ʼac).
This is one of three known cases of velar initial in Vietnamese corresponding to zero-initial in other Austroasiatic branches. The other two cases are củi (“firewood”) and the dialectal cảy (“swollen”).


感恩

chữ Hán form of cảm ơn, cám ơn (“thank you”).


ứ

Ứ chịu đâu.

—Mai anh về quê thay em nhé!
—Ứ, mai anh bận việc rồi.
"Tomorrow, return home instead of me, OK?"
"Nuh-uh, tomorrow, I'm already busy with work."


mẹ

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Jessica Nguyen (Pamputt)-mẹ.wav

From Proto-Vietic *meːʔ ~ *mɛːʔ, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *meeʔ ~ *ʔmeeʔ (“mother”); cognate with Bahnar mĕ, Khmer ម៉ែ (mae), Mon မိ (mìˀ), Khasi mei. Ultimately a nursery word, compare Old Chinese 母 (*mɯʔ) and Proto-Tai *meːᴮ (whence Thai แม่ (mɛ̂ɛ)). Related to mái.

(địt con) mẹ mày


chết

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Jessica Nguyen (Pamputt)-chết.wav

From Proto-Vietic *k-ceːt, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *kc(ə)t (“to die”). Related to giết (“to kill”).
According to Sagart (2008), a word from the Yuè language meaning "die" was noted in Zhèng Xuán's commentary on the Zhōu Lĭ from the Han dynasty using the character 札, pronounced "tsreat" in Middle Chinese. Scholars Norman and Mei (1976) compared this word with the Vietnamese word "chết", which also means "to die". However, they missed that 札 is a well-known Chinese word meaning "to die (from external causes, prematurely, or in an epidemic)." This word appears frequently in classical Chinese texts without any specific southern or Yuè connection. The presence of this word in the Yuè language during the Han dynasty might be due to Yuè borrowing it from Chinese. Alternatively, it could have been the standard word for "die" in a Chinese dialect spoken in the Yuè region. The similarity between this Chinese word and the Austroasiatic word is likely coincidental.

Chết tôi rồi !

Đừng ! Mày mà đi thì chết tao !

A ha! Phải đấy, hắn cứ thế mà chửa, cứ chửi đứa chết mẹ nào đẻ ra thân hắn, đẻ ra cái thằng Chí Phèo!

Uh-huh! That's right, he can just do this, he can just curse whatever motherfucker that gave birth to him, to the bastard known as Chí Phèo!

(followed by a pronoun or kinship term) ... am/is screwed big time


được

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 得 (“to get, to obtain”, SV: đắc).
Central-Southern đặng has mostly been displaced by this word.

der

SV: <i class="Latn mention" lang="vi">đắc</i>

vi-etym-sino

OK, alright, all right (acknowledgement or acceptance)


vâng

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Jessica Nguyen (Pamputt)-vâng.wav

A cognate is found in Eastern Cham peng (“to obey”) (Shin'e & Sakaya, 2014), which might be a rather late Vietnamese loan as suggested by its monosyllabic shape.


dạ

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Jessica Nguyen (Pamputt)-dạ.wav

giạ (northern Vietnam, southern Vietnam)

(Southern Vietnam) yes? (asks for more information with a request)

vâng

(Southern Vietnam) yes (confirms that the user is paying attention)

ờ

(Northern Vietnam, dialectal) say again?


khổ

Sino-Vietnamese word from 苦. Doublet of khó.

Biết rồi, khổ lắm, nói mãi!

I get it! Good grief! Enough with the nagging!

good grief (an expression of exasperation, annoyance, irritation)


cạch

(onomatopoeia) the sound of something metal hitting something wooden


hết

From Proto-Vietic *heːt, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *ʔət ~ *ʔəət (“used up, finished, lacking”). Cognate with Thavung hɨ́t ("all"), Bahnar ơ̆t (“to hold breath, to fast”), Proto-Katuic *ʔet (“exhausted”) (whence Kuy ʔɛt ("tired")), Mon အိုတ် (“to be finished, exhausted”), Khmer អត់ (ʼɑt), Pear ʔet ("not"), Sa'och ʔeːt ("all"), Riang [Lang] ʔət¹ ("to stop, to halt").
Insertion of initial *h in Vietic can also be seen in *tŋ-ʔaːm (“jaw”) (> Vietnamese hàm, Late Vietic), *huːɲ (“to kiss”) (> Vietnamese hôn), *hanʔ (“he, she, it”) (> Vietnamese hắn), *haːr (“two”) (> Vietnamese hai), *hoːj (“foul-smelling”) (> Vietnamese hôi), *hɔːŋʔ (“river, brook”), *haːŋʔ (“to open (mouth)”).
For the semantic relationship, compare maybe English over, over-, German alle, all.


cút

(informal, offensive) Beat it!; Take a hike!; Get lost!


ực

nuốt cái ực


hơ

Hơ? Mi mần chi rứa?


trời đất ơi

[t͡ɕəːj˨˩ ʔɗət̚˧˦ ʔəːj˧˧]

[ʈəːj˦˩ ʔɗək̚˦˧˥ ʔəːj˧˧]

[ʈəːj˨˩ ʔɗək̚˦˥ ʔəːj˧˧]

trời (“sky, heaven”) + đất (“earth, ground”) + ơi (“yes”)


trời ơi

[t͡ɕəːj˨˩ ʔəːj˧˧]

[ʈəːj˦˩ ʔəːj˧˧]

[ʈəːj˨˩ ʔəːj˧˧]

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Penn Zero MSSJ-trời ơi.wav

Trời ơi! Làm vậy thì hỏng bét!

What the heck are you doing? You're ruining it!

Trời ơi! Tao đã bảo rồi!

Oh for goodness' sake! I told you didn't I?

Trời ơi là trời!

Dear Lord! What have I done to deserve this?


thôi

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 退 (SV: thối, thoái).
For the tonal correspondence, see other post-reconstructed Old Chinese, pre-Middle Chinese loans such as bèn, buôn, chung, cùng, where words with Vietnamese A/bằng tones correspond to Qieyun system tone C/去聲／去声 (qùshēng). Particularly compare đôi (“pair”), which exhibits the exact same correspondence in the rime as with thôi.

der

SV: <i class="Latn mention" lang="vi">thối, thoái</i>

vi-etym-sino

Used sentence-initially to express a polite negative: that's it; enough


mẹ kiếp

[mɛ˧˨ʔ kiəp̚˧˦]

[mɛ˨˩ʔ kiəp̚˦˧˥]

[mɛ˨˩˨ kip̚˦˥]


địt

(Northern Vietnam, vulgar, colloquial) Shit!; Fuck!


im lặng

[ʔim˧˧ laŋ˧˨ʔ]

[ʔim˧˧ laŋ˨˩ʔ]

[ʔim˧˧ laŋ˨˩˨]

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Jessica Nguyen (Pamputt)-im lặng.wav


tía má ơi

[tiə˧˦ maː˧˦ ʔəːj˧˧]

[tiə˨˩˦ maː˨˩˦ ʔəːj˧˧]

[tiə˦˥ maː˦˥ ʔəːj˧˧]

tía (“father”) + má (“mother”) + ơi (attention particle).

com

(idiomatic) Holy Mother of God!; Mother of mercy!; literally "Father and Mother!"


ơi

head

ơi • (㗒, 意, 𠲖, 喂)

vi-interj

ơi • (㗒, 意, 𠲖, 喂)

Mẹ ơi !
Ơi !
Mom!
What is it, darling?

(to someone of equal or lower status) yes, what is it?; compare vâng and dạ


vô

Undiphthongized equivalent of Northern vào.
The usage of vào (especially in writing) by speakers of Central-Southern dialects can be contributed to borrowing from Northern dialects. On the other hand, the undiphthongized Southern form with palatal initial latter spread to the Northern and Central dialects as an interjection.

Một, hai, ba, dzô!


chuyện

[t͡ɕwiən˧˨ʔ]

[t͡ɕwiəŋ˨˩ʔ]

[c⁽ʷ⁾iəŋ˨˩˨]

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 傳 (SV: truyện). Doublet of truyện, truyền, chuyền, and đồn.
The initial ‹ch-› here and in chuyền possibly results from a sound change inside Vietnamese, different from, and later than the one which yields ‹ch-› in chạp, chàng, & possibly also chuồng.

der

SV: <i class="Latn mention" lang="vi">truyện</i>

doublet

Chuyện! Anh mày chứ ai!

Duh! Of course it's yours truly right here!


trời đất

[t͡ɕəːj˨˩ ʔɗət̚˧˦]

[ʈəːj˦˩ ʔɗək̚˦˧˥]

[ʈəːj˨˩ ʔɗək̚˦˥]


anh trai

[ʔajŋ̟˧˧ t͡ɕaːj˧˧]

[ʔɛɲ˧˧ ʈaːj˧˧]

[ʔan˧˧ ʈaːj˧˧]

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Jessica Nguyen (Pamputt)-anh trai.wav

Đường này đi thẳng là tới Thủ Đức hả anh trai?
Am I correct in assuming that this road leads to Thủ Đức, young man?

(colloquial, friendly, not intimate, speakers are strangers) young man

friendly; speakers are strangers; friendly; speakers are strangers


chị gái

[t͡ɕi˧˨ʔ ɣaːj˧˦]

[t͡ɕɪj˨˩ʔ ɣaːj˨˩˦]

[cɪj˨˩˨ ɣaːj˦˥]

(uncommon, colloquial, friendly, not intimate, speakers are strangers) young lady


hoan nghênh

[hwaːn˧˧ ŋəjŋ̟˧˧]

[hwaːŋ˧˧ ŋen˧˧]

[waːŋ˧˧ ŋəːn˧˧]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 歡迎 (“welcome”).

vi-etym-sino

Hoan nghênh các bạn đến thăm Việt Nam!


không dám

[xəwŋ͡m˧˧ zaːm˧˦]

[kʰəwŋ͡m˧˧ jaːm˦˧˥]

[xəwŋ͡m˧˧ jaːm˦˧˥]

[kʰəwŋ͡m˧˧ jaːm˦˥]

[xəwŋ͡m˧˧ jaːm˦˥]

(sarcastic) I wouldn't dare do that; how would I ever dare do that?


xin lỗi

xin (“to beg”) + lỗi (“mistake”).
The literal meaning of these two words is "to beg for someone's mistake", which some people might consider strange. It's possibly a shortened form of the more outdated literary form xin thứ lỗi/xin tha lỗi.

Xin lỗi, tớ không cố ý.

I'm sorry (for my mistake/transgression)

Xin lỗi, cho hỏi đây có phải là nhà anh Tiến không ạ?
Excuse me, is this Mr. Tiến's address?

(polite) excuse me/pardon me (for intruding/disturbing you)


khốn nạn

[kʰoŋ˦˧˥ naːŋ˨˩ʔ]

[xoŋ˦˧˥ naːŋ˨˩ʔ]

[kʰoŋ˦˥ naːŋ˨˩˨]

[xoŋ˦˥ naːŋ˨˩˨]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 困難 (“difficulty; hardship”).
Its semantic development from "difficult; miserable" to "despicable, contemptible, base, vile, etc." parallels that of English wretch.

Khốn nạn!

Damned! / Damn me! / Damme! / Damn it! / Damnit! / Damnit!

Đồ khốn nạn!


khốn kiếp

[kʰoŋ˦˧˥ kiəp̚˦˧˥]

[xoŋ˦˧˥ kiəp̚˦˧˥]

[kʰoŋ˦˥ kip̚˦˥]

Đồ khốn kiếp!


đụ má

[ʔɗu˧˨ʔ maː˧˦]

[ʔɗʊw˨˩ʔ maː˨˩˦]

[ʔɗʊw˨˩˨ maː˦˥]

Đụ má mày!

(Southern Vietnam, vulgar) Used to express displeasure: fuck.

(Southern Vietnam, vulgar) Used to signify a pause or hesitation.


địt mẹ

[ʔɗit̚˧˨ʔ mɛ˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɗit̚˨˩ʔ mɛ˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɗɨt̚˨˩˨ mɛ˨˩˨]

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Penn Zero MSSJ-địt mẹ.wav

địt (“to fart; to fuck”) + mẹ (“mother”)

af

Địt mẹ mày!

Thanh niên xóm tôi toàn bọn nghiện, mà làng tôi hễ nghiện thì bán đồ nhà, bán hết thì đi ăn cắp, hễ đi làm tử tế thì sẽ bị dân chê cười rằng “Địt mẹ thằng này điên, nghiện phải đi ăn cắp chứ, làm cái đéo gì cho lại?”.

2023 March 6, Tran A, “Xóm bựa : Anh Tú và môn võ đ*t [The Shithole: Brother Tú and the Art of F*cking]”, in TRUYỆN CƯỜI CÔNG SỞ [FUNNY OFFICE STORIES], page 70:

My neighborhood’s full of young addicts. You know what they do, they sell their belongings, and if those run out, they steal. So if one of them got a legit job, everybody’d make fun of him, “The fuck d’ya think you are? You’re an addict, go steal shit, you can’t work for shit.”

Hồi trưa tao đi chợ, địt mẹ, tao gặp con mụ béo chém giá, địt mẹ, đứt cổ luôn!

So I went to the grocery, a little before noon, y'know, I was shit out of luck enough to meet this fat bitch that charged me, y'know, a fucking fortune!

(Northern Vietnam, vulgar) you know (expression signifying a pause or hesitation)


mợ

From Old Chinese 姆 (OC *məʔ) (B-S) (SV: mỗ).

(minced oath) Alternative form of mẹ (“fuck”)


can chi

[kaːn˧˧ t͡ɕi˧˧]

[kaːŋ˧˧ t͡ɕɪj˧˧]

[kaːŋ˧˧ cɪj˧˧]

can (“related, bothering”) + chi (central Vietnamese version of gì).

(North Central Vietnam) It doesn't matter! It's no big deal!


nghé

head

犠, 猊, 霓, 麑, 𤚇, 𤛞

vi-interj

犠, 猊, 霓, 麑, 𤚇, 𤛞

犠 (CJK)
猊 (CJK)
霓 (CJK)
麑 (CJK)
𤚇 (CJK)
𤛞 (CJK)

Compare Thai แหง่ and Chinese 牛 (MC ngjuw) (and its cognates in other Sino-Tibetan languages), which are all possibly of ultimately imitative origin.

(onomatopoeia) The cry of a water buffalo calf


hắt xì

[hak̚˦˧˥ sɪj˦˩]


vạn tuế

[vaːŋ˨˩ʔ twej˨˩˦]

[vaːŋ˨˩˨ t⁽ʷ⁾ej˦˥]

[jaːŋ˨˩˨ t⁽ʷ⁾ej˦˥]

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Penn Zero MSSJ-vạn tuế.wav

Sino-Vietnamese word from 萬歲, composed of 萬 (“ten thousand”) and 歲 (“years of age”). Doublet of muôn tuổi.
Compare thiên tuế (“Cycas pectinata”, literally “thousand years”). The Cycas species are so named likely because of their long lifespan.

vi-etym-sino

Hoàng thượng vạn tuế! Vạn tuế! Vạn vạn tuế!


e hèm

[ʔɛ˧˧ hɛm˨˩]

[ʔɛ˧˧ hɛm˦˩]

[ʔɛ˧˧ hɛm˨˩]


không sao

[xəwŋ͡m˧˧ saːw˧˧]

[kʰəwŋ͡m˧˧ ʂaːw˧˧]

[xəwŋ͡m˧˧ saːw˧˧]

[kʰəwŋ͡m˧˧ ʂaːw˧˧]

[xəwŋ͡m˧˧ saːw˧˧]


ủn ỉn

head

ủn ỉn • (穩 + 稳/穩)

vi-int

ủn ỉn • (穩 + 稳/穩)

[ʔun˧˩ ʔin˧˩]

[ʔun˧˨ ʔin˧˨]

[ʔʊwŋ͡m˨˩˦ ʔɨn˨˩˦]


oẳng

Onomatopoeic. Compare Japanese ワン (wan).

(onomatopoeia) The cry of dog when it's scared


gâu

(onomatopoeia) bark; ruff; arf; woof; au au; bow-wow


cà uồm

[kaː˨˩ ʔuəm˨˩]

[kaː˦˩ ʔuəm˦˩]

[kaː˨˩ ʔuəm˨˩]

(onomatopoeia, of a leopard) growl; roar


cục ta cục tác

[kʊwk͡p̚˧˨ʔ taː˧˧ kʊwk͡p̚˧˨ʔ taːk̚˧˦]

[kʊwk͡p̚˨˩ʔ taː˧˧ kʊwk͡p̚˨˩ʔ taːk̚˦˧˥]

[kʊwk͡p̚˨˩˨ taː˧˧ kʊwk͡p̚˨˩˨ taːk̚˦˥]


chiếp

[t͡ɕiəp̚˦˧˥]


ò ó o

[ʔɔ˨˩ ʔɔ˧˦ ʔɔ˧˧]

[ʔɔ˦˩ ʔɔ˨˩˦ ʔɔ˧˧]

[ʔɔ˨˩ ʔɔ˦˥ ʔɔ˧˧]


cục tác

[kʊwk͡p̚˧˨ʔ taːk̚˧˦]

[kʊwk͡p̚˨˩ʔ taːk̚˦˧˥]

[kʊwk͡p̚˨˩˨ taːk̚˦˥]

From Proto-Vietic *k-taːk, from Proto-Austroasiatic *ktaat (“to cluck”), ultimately onomatopoeic. Cognates within Vietic include Muong [Hoà Bình] kuk⁸ taːk⁷, Tho [Cuối Chăm] kuk⁸ taːk⁷, Chut kutaːk⁷, and Arem kutæːk. Other cognates include Mon ကတတ် (“to cluck, cackle”), Nyah Kur [Northern] kǝták ("cackling (of a hen)"), Khmer ខ្តត (khtɑɑt, “to cluck, cackle”), Bahnar kơtak (“cluck, cackle”), Ngeq katoːc ("to crow; to cackle"), Semai kutok (“to cackle, cluck (of a hen)”), Cua takɔːt ("cackle of chicken").


méo

(onomatopoeia) The cry of a cat when it's scared or in pain; a yowl


ụm bò

[ʔum˧˨ʔ ʔɓɔ˨˩]

[ʔum˨˩ʔ ʔɓɔ˦˩]

[ʔʊm˨˩˨ ʔɓɔ˨˩]


bắt cô trói cột

[ʔɓat̚˧˦ ko˧˧ t͡ɕɔj˧˦ kot̚˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɓak̚˦˧˥ kow˧˧ ʈɔj˨˩˦ kok̚˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɓak̚˦˥ kow˧˧ ʈɔj˦˥ kok̚˨˩˨]

Onomatopoeic; literally "catch the lady/aunt and tie her to the pillar/column"

(onomatopoeia) The cry of an Indian cuckoo


hoan hô

Sino-Vietnamese word from 歡呼 (“to hurray”).


ai dè

[ʔaːj˧˧ zɛ˨˩]

[ʔaːj˧˧ jɛ˦˩]

[ʔaːj˧˧ jɛ˨˩]

who would have thought it
who would have thought it


cút đi

[kut̚˧˦ ʔɗi˧˧]

[kʊk̚˦˧˥ ʔɗɪj˧˧]

[kʊk͡p̚˦˥ ʔɗɪj˧˧]


nhồm nhoàm

[ɲom˨˩ ɲwaːm˨˩]

[ɲom˦˩ ɲwaːm˦˩]

[ɲom˨˩ ɲwaːm˨˩]


nhất

Sino-Vietnamese word from 一 (“one”).
The ‹nh-› is from ʔj-, which was perceived as the implosive *ʄ- then developed into ɲ- as implosives nasalized: ʔjit > *ʄit > ɲit. For a similar case of development of Middle Chinese ʔj-, compare nhân, from 因 (MC 'jin). See Ferlus (2009) for details.
Sino-Vietnamese shows fairly systemic contrast between characters belonging to Chongniu III and IV rime groups with certain initials: nhất (< *ʔj- < 一 (MC 'jit)) vs. ất (< *ʔ- < 乙 (MC 'it)), dân (< *j- < *mj- < 民 (MC mjin)) vs. mân (< *m- < 珉 (MC min)), tần (< *bj- < 嬪 (MC bjin)) vs. bần (< *b- < 貧 (MC bin)). The first character of each pair belongs to Chongniu IV group and shows clear palatalization in its Sino-Vietnamese reflexes, while the second belongs to Chongniu III and yields simplex initial.

Vợ đẹp con ngoan. Nhất chú đấy nhá!

Beautiful wife, well-behaved children. You're a winner!

(informal, before someone's name or kinship title) you are / he/she is so darn lucky


chết cha

[t͡ɕet̚˧˦ t͡ɕaː˧˧]

[t͡ɕet̚˦˧˥ t͡ɕaː˧˧]

[cəːt̚˦˥ caː˧˧]

Chết cha! Tao quên làm bài tập rồi!
Doh! I forgot to do my homework!


tự nhiên

[tɨ˧˨ʔ ɲiən˧˧]

[tɨ˨˩ʔ ɲiəŋ˧˧]

[tɨ˨˩˨ ɲiəŋ˧˧]

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Penn Zero MSSJ-tự nhiên.wav

(colloquial) what the heck do ya think you're doin'?


ngủ ngon

[ŋu˧˩ ŋɔn˧˧]

[ŋʊw˧˨ ŋɔŋ˧˧]

[ŋʊw˨˩˦ ŋɔŋ˧˧]

(uncommon, usually in translations of Western texts) Short for chúc ngủ ngon (“nighty night”).


đậu phộng rau má

[ʔɗəw˧˨ʔ fəwŋ͡m˧˨ʔ zaw˧˧ maː˧˦]

[ʔɗəw˨˩ʔ fəwŋ͡m˨˩ʔ ʐaw˧˧ maː˨˩˦]

[ʔɗəw˨˩˨ fəwŋ͡m˨˩˨ ɹa(ː)w˧˧ maː˦˥]

đậu phộng (“peanut”) + rau má (“gotu kola”), an minced oath extended from đậu má

af

(idiomatic, slang, minced oath, humorous) Synonym of đụ má (“fuck”)


đệt mợ

[ʔɗet̚˧˨ʔ məː˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɗet̚˨˩ʔ məː˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɗəːt̚˨˩˨ məː˨˩˨]

(minced oath) Eye dialect spelling of địt mẹ, representing Northern Vietnam Vietnamese.; fudge; darn


đậu má

[ʔɗəw˧˨ʔ maː˧˦]

[ʔɗəw˨˩ʔ maː˨˩˦]

[ʔɗəw˨˩˨ maː˦˥]

(minced oath) Eye dialect spelling of đụ má, representing Southern Vietnam Vietnamese.; fudge; darn


ĐM

[ʔɗəː˨˩ məː˨˩]

[ʔɗe˧˧ məː˨˩]

[ʔɗəː˦˩ məː˦˩]

[ʔɗej˧˧ məː˦˩]

[ʔɗəː˨˩ məː˨˩]

[ʔɗej˧˧ məː˨˩]

(informal, euphemistic) Initialism of địt mẹ (“fuck”).

(informal, euphemistic) Initialism of đù mẹ (“fuck”).

(informal, euphemistic) Initialism of đụ má (“fuck”).


suỵt

[ʂ⁽ʷ⁾ɨt̚˨˩˨]

[s⁽ʷ⁾ɨt̚˨˩˨]


hix

(Internet slang) Alternative spelling of hic


vĩnh biệt

[vïŋ˦ˀ˥ ʔɓiət̚˧˨ʔ]

[vɨn˧˨ ʔɓiək̚˨˩ʔ]

[vɨn˨˩˦ ʔɓiək̚˨˩˨]

[jɨn˨˩˦ ʔɓiək̚˨˩˨]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 永別, composed of 永 (“permanent”) and 別 (“to leave”).

vi-etym-sino

Vĩnh biệt người bạn yêu dấu.

Vĩnh biệt!

Farewell! / See you never! / Good riddance! / Don't ever come back!

(literary, to someone who's minutes away from dying or already dead, or someone who you think you will never, or wish to never, meet again) goodbye forever; see you never; good riddance forever

to someone who's minutes away from dying or already dead; or someone who you think you will never; or wish to never; meet again; to someone who's minutes away from dying or already dead; or someone who you think you will never; or wish to never; meet again


千歲

chữ Hán form of thiên tuế (“long live”).


dzô

(Southern Vietnam, phonetic spelling) Alternative spelling of vô


dô

A common toast used when drinking in company.


rõ

Phận "Rõ!" một tiếng rất gọn nhưng vẫn ngồi im.

1978, Chu Lai, chapter 9, in Nắng đồng bằng, NXB Quân đội Nhân dân:

Phận let out a very neat "Roger!", but he did not budge.


đa tạ

[ʔɗaː˧˧ taː˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɗaː˧˧ taː˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɗaː˧˧ taː˨˩˨]

(often used in a Chinese context) many thanks, thank you very much


sụt sịt

[sut̚˧˨ʔ sit̚˧˨ʔ]

[ʂʊk̚˨˩ʔ ʂit̚˨˩ʔ]

[sʊk̚˨˩ʔ sit̚˨˩ʔ]

[ʂʊk͡p̚˨˩˨ ʂɨt̚˨˩˨]

[sʊk͡p̚˨˩˨ sɨt̚˨˩˨]


thình thịch

[tʰïŋ˨˩ tʰïk̟̚˧˨ʔ]

[tʰɨn˦˩ tʰɨt̚˨˩ʔ]

[tʰɨn˨˩ tʰɨt̚˨˩˨]


nước sôi

[nɨək̚˧˦ soj˧˧]

[nɨək̚˦˧˥ ʂoj˧˧]

[nɨək̚˦˧˥ soj˧˧]

[nɨək̚˦˥ ʂoj˧˧]

[nɨək̚˦˥ soj˧˧]

(idiomatic, Southern Vietnam) out of my way, coming through, make way


bỏ mẹ

[ʔɓɔ˧˩ mɛ˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɓɔ˧˨ mɛ˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɓɔ˨˩˦ mɛ˨˩˨]

Bỏ mẹ ! Hụt năm lần rồi !

Motherfuck! I missed five times in a row!


thịch

thình thịch


tùng

(onomatopoeia) the pounding sound of a drum


thình thình

[tʰïŋ˨˩ tʰïŋ˨˩]

[tʰɨn˦˩ tʰɨn˦˩]

[tʰɨn˨˩ tʰɨn˨˩]


moạ

(slang, minced oath) Alternative form of mẹ (“fudge; crap”)


bố khỉ

[ʔɓo˧˦ xi˧˩]

[ʔɓow˨˩˦ kʰɪj˧˨]

[ʔɓow˨˩˦ xɪj˧˨]

[ʔɓow˦˥ kʰɪj˨˩˦]

[ʔɓow˦˥ xɪj˨˩˦]


úi

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) An expression of surprise


ối

(Northern Vietnam) An expression of surprise


rầm

Very loud noise, often produced when something collapses or explodes


vãi

From Middle Vietnamese uãi, vãi, from Proto-Vietic *vaːs (“to broadcast (rice)”). Cognate with Tho [Cuối Chăm] vɐːl⁶, Chut [Rục] vaːl⁶.
Unrelated to Chinese 播 (MC paH) (SV: bá) nor any Austroasiatic word with labial stop initial like Khmer បោះ (bɑh), Khasi bet. As shown by the Vietic cognates, Vietnamese ‹v-› here is not the result of lenition.


hử

Likely of imitative origin, compare English huh. See also hả.


tính tiền

[tïŋ˧˦ tiən˨˩]

[tɨn˦˧˥ tiəŋ˦˩]

[tɨn˦˥ tiəŋ˨˩]

Em ơi, tính tiền!

Excuse me, the bill, please! (to someone not much younger)


than ôi

[tʰaːn˧˧ ʔoj˧˧]

[tʰaːŋ˧˧ ʔoj˧˧]

[tʰaːŋ˧˧ ʔoj˧˧]

Than ôi! Thời oanh liệt nay còn đâu?

1935, Thế Lữ, “Nhớ rừng (Lời con hổ ở vườn Bách thú) [Longing for the Jungle (As Told by a Zoo Tiger)]”, in Mấy vần thơ [Some Poetry Rhymes]:

Good grief! Where did those awesome times go?


cơm muối

[kəːm˧˧ muəj˧˦]

[kəːm˧˧ muj˨˩˦]

From cơm (“cooked rice”) + muối (“salt”), perhaps from the ingredients used in exorcisms. Saying it in response to a child's sneeze is believed to expel the evil spirit that's possessing their weak phách at that moment.

(Northern Vietnam, Central Vietnam) bless you; gesundheit


trộm vía

[t͡ɕom˧˨ʔ viə˧˦]

[ʈom˨˩ʔ viə˨˩˦]

[ʈom˨˩˨ viə˦˥]

[ʈom˨˩˨ jiə˦˥]

From trộm (“to steal”) + vía (“po”). Perhaps used as a superstitious precaution against potential damage to a child's weak po, or an evil spirit that might take something good away from it if you don't compliment it properly.

Trộm vía, cháu bé bụ bẫm quá!

Oh my! What a chubby baby you've got there!

(Northern Vietnam) used before complimenting an infant


đệch

(Internet slang, minced oath) Eye dialect spelling of đệt, representing Southern Vietnam Vietnamese.


đệt

(minced oath) Eye dialect spelling of địt (“fuck”).


hức

Hức... tao éo có say... hức...
Hic... I ain't drunk... hic


hết hồn

[het̚˦˧˥ hoŋ˦˩]

[həːt̚˦˥ hoŋ˨˩]

used after being very startled, scared or frightened; whew; phew


cái gì

[kaːj˨˩˦ jɪj˦˩]

cái (“something”) + gì (“what; whatever”).


hú vía

[hʊw˨˩˦ viə˨˩˦]

[hʊw˦˥ viə˦˥]

[hʊw˦˥ jiə˦˥]

hú (“to howl to call upon or summon”) + vía (“spirit”).


mại vô

Chinese 賣／卖 (mài, “to sell”) + vô (imperatively intensifying particle).

(Southern Vietnam, humorous) come and check out and buy my/our stuff, folks!


mại dô

Eye dialect spelling of mại vô, representing Southern Vietnam Vietnamese.


quái

Quái! Nhớ để ở đây mà!

That's weird! I could've sworn I put it here!

Quái, hôm qua còn khỏe thế mà hôm nay đã chết!

How odd, he was so healthy yesterday and to day he is dead!


bô lô ba la

[ʔɓo˧˧ lo˧˧ ʔɓaː˧˧ laː˧˧]

[ʔɓow˧˧ low˧˧ ʔɓaː˧˧ laː˧˧]

[ʔɓow˧˧ low˧˧ ʔɓaː˧˧ laː˧˧]


nhảm nhí

[ɲaːm˧˩ ɲi˧˦]

[ɲaːm˧˨ ɲɪj˨˩˦]

[ɲaːm˨˩˦ ɲɪj˦˥]


muôn năm

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Penn Zero MSSJ-muôn năm.wav

From muôn (“myriad; countless”) + năm (“year”). Compare vạn tuế (literally “ten thousand years of age”).

Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam muôn năm!

All hail the Communist Party of Vietnam!


thiên tuế

[tʰiəŋ˧˧ twej˨˩˦]

[tʰiəŋ˧˧ t⁽ʷ⁾ej˦˥]

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Penn Zero MSSJ-thiên tuế.wav

Sino-Vietnamese word from 千歲, composed of 千 (“thousand”) and 歲 (“years of age”).
Compare vạn tuế (“Cycas revoluta”, literally “ten thousand years”). The Cycas species are so named likely because of their long lifespan.

vi-etym-sino

Hoàng hậu thiên tuế! Thiên tuế! Thiên thiên tuế!
Long live the empress consort!

(archaic, to an East Asian empress consort or queen consort) long live


vãi lồn

[vaːj˨˩˦ loŋ˨˩]

[jaːj˨˩˦ loŋ˨˩]

(vulgar, slang) holy shit; what the fuck


đáng đời

[ʔɗaːŋ˧˦ ʔɗəːj˨˩]

[ʔɗaːŋ˦˧˥ ʔɗəːj˦˩]

[ʔɗaːŋ˦˥ ʔɗəːj˨˩]

Đáng đời nó lắm!

serves [objective case pronouns] right
serves you right#English

serves [objective case pronouns] right; [subjective case pronouns] had it coming; [subjective case pronouns] got [possessive adjective] just desserts


phải gió

[faːj˧˩ zɔ˧˦]

[faːj˧˨ jɔ˨˩˦]

[faːj˨˩˦ jɔ˦˥]

From Middle Vietnamese phải gió, from phải + gió.

Phải gió nhà anh! Giấu cái mũ đâu rồi?

You little twat! Where did you hide my hat?

(Northern Vietnam, sometimes sarcastic, optionally followed by (cái) nhà (literally “house”) and a suitable pronoun or kinship term) why you little; you son of a gun


dạ vâng

[zaː˧˨ʔ vəŋ˧˧]

[jaː˨˩ʔ vəŋ˧˧]

[jaː˨˩˨ vəŋ˧˧]

[jaː˨˩˨ jəŋ˧˧]

dạ (polite particle) + vâng (polite particle).

com

A sentence-initial interjection used to give confirmation for others in a respectful, formal way.


mô Phật

[mo˧˧ fət̚˧˨ʔ]

[mow˧˧ fək̚˨˩ʔ]

[mow˧˧ fək̚˨˩˨]

Mô Phật ! Kiểu này đảm bảo mày xuống địa ngục cho coi !

Jesus Christ! You're gonna go to hell, I'm telling you!


eo ơi

[ʔɛw˧˧ ʔəːj˧˧]

[ʔɛw˧˧ ʔəːj˧˧]

[ʔɛw˧˧ ʔəːj˧˧]


đáng kiếp

[ʔɗaːŋ˧˦ kiəp̚˧˦]

[ʔɗaːŋ˦˧˥ kiəp̚˦˧˥]

[ʔɗaːŋ˦˥ kip̚˦˥]


vãi cả lồn

[vaːj˧˨ kaː˧˨ loŋ˦˩]

[vaːj˨˩˦ kaː˨˩˦ loŋ˨˩]

[jaːj˨˩˦ kaː˨˩˦ loŋ˨˩]


bớ

head

bớ • (叭, 咟, 𡃓)

vi-interjection

bớ • (叭, 咟, 𡃓)


bảo trọng

[ʔɓaːw˧˩ t͡ɕawŋ͡m˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɓaːw˧˨ ʈawŋ͡m˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɓaːw˧˨ ʈɔŋ˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɓaːw˨˩˦ ʈawŋ͡m˨˩˨]


trăm phần trăm

[t͡ɕam˧˧ fən˨˩ t͡ɕam˧˧]

[ʈam˧˧ fəŋ˦˩ ʈam˧˧]

[ʈam˧˧ fəŋ˨˩ ʈam˧˧]

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Penn Zero MSSJ-trăm phần trăm.wav

From một trăm phần trăm (“one hundred percent”).

(usually drinking) let's finish our drinks


ơ hay

[ʔəː˧˧ haj˧˧]

[ʔəː˧˧ haj˧˧]

[ʔəː˧˧ ha(ː)j˧˧]


吀嘲

Nôm form of xin chào (“hello; greetings”).


ui da

[ʔuj˧˧ zaː˧˧]

[ʔuj˧˧ jaː˧˧]

[ʔuj˧˧ jaː˧˧]

ouch! (expression of one's own physical pain)


mẹ nó

[mɛ˧˨ʔ nɔ˧˦]

[mɛ˨˩ʔ nɔ˨˩˦]

[mɛ˨˩˨ nɔ˦˥]


ọe

Alternative spelling of oẹ (“blech; blarg”)


ủa

Ủa ? Tao tưởng mày mua rồi. Mày chưa mua à ?

What? I thought you bought it. Have you not?


úm ba la xì bùa

[ʔum˧˦ ʔɓaː˧˧ laː˧˧ si˨˩ ʔɓuə˨˩]

[ʔum˦˧˥ ʔɓaː˧˧ laː˧˧ sɪj˦˩ ʔɓuə˦˩]

[ʔʊm˦˥ ʔɓaː˧˧ laː˧˧ sɪj˨˩ ʔɓuə˨˩]


tích tắc

[tïk̟̚˧˦ tak̚˧˦]

[tɨt̚˦˧˥ tak̚˦˧˥]

[tɨt̚˦˥ tak̚˦˥]


hèn gì

[hɛŋ˦˩ jɪj˦˩]

[hɛŋ˨˩ jɪj˨˩]

(Northern Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) I know it; no wonder; just as I expected


hèn chi

[hɛn˨˩ t͡ɕi˧˧]

[hɛŋ˦˩ t͡ɕɪj˧˧]

[hɛŋ˨˩ cɪj˧˧]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) no wonder; of course; it figures


ắc ê

[ʔak̚˧˦ ʔe˧˧]

[ʔak̚˦˧˥ ʔej˧˧]

[ʔak̚˦˥ ʔej˧˧]

Nhưng không, anh giơ cao chân bước đi theo nhịp ắc-ê và dùng vắt cơm làm cái kèn thổi:[…]

But no, he lifted his feet high on the rhythm of the one-two and used the handful of rice as a trumpet: […]


thấy chưa

[tʰəj˧˦ t͡ɕɨə˧˧]

[tʰəj˨˩˦ t͡ɕɨə˧˧]

[tʰəj˦˥ cɨə˧˧]


mả cha

[maː˧˩ t͡ɕaː˧˧]

[maː˧˨ t͡ɕaː˧˧]

[maː˨˩˦ caː˧˧]

mả (“grave”) + cha (“father”), something to the effect of "curse your dead father or ancestors"

Mả cha bay!


mả mẹ

[maː˧˩ mɛ˧˨ʔ]

[maː˧˨ mɛ˨˩ʔ]

[maː˨˩˦ mɛ˨˩˨]

mả (“grave”) + mẹ (“mother”), something to the effect of "curse your dead mother or ancestors"

Mả mẹ nó!


kính coong

[kïŋ˧˦ kɔŋ˧˧]

[kɨn˦˧˥ kɔŋ͡m˧˧]

[kɨn˦˥ kɔŋ˧˧]


thiệt tình

[tʰiət̚˧˨ʔ tïŋ˨˩]

[tʰiək̚˨˩ʔ tɨn˦˩]

[tʰiək̚˨˩˨ tɨn˨˩]

Giỡn thì giỡn vừa vừa thôi chứ giỡn gì ghê vậy. Thiệt tình luôn á.

Play harmless jokes, don't play such a cruel joke. Jesus Christ, what's wrong with you?

(Southern Vietnam) honestly; seriously; for Pete's sake


mệt quá

[met̚˨˩ʔ kwaː˨˩˦]

[məːt̚˨˩˨ waː˦˥]

(informal) you're so annoying; leave me alone


chúc ngủ ngon

[t͡ɕʊwk͡p̚˧˦ ŋu˧˩ ŋɔn˧˧]

[t͡ɕʊwk͡p̚˦˧˥ ŋʊw˧˨ ŋɔŋ˧˧]

[cʊwk͡p̚˦˥ ŋʊw˨˩˦ ŋɔŋ˧˧]

chúc (“to wish”) + ngủ (“to sleep”) + ngon (“well”).

com

chúc (anh/chị/em/bố/mẹ/con/bé/cả nhà) ngủ ngon

good night(, my big bro/big sis/little sibling/dad/mom/child/baby/family)

(uncommon, usually in translations of Western texts) good night


huỷ bỏ

[hwi˧˩ ʔɓɔ˧˩]

[hwɪj˧˨ ʔɓɔ˧˨]

[wɪj˨˩˦ ʔɓɔ˨˩˦]

(computing) cancel (used to dismiss a prompt, discarding any input and avoiding any action)


chết chưa

Alternative form of chết chửa (“oh my goodness”).


chết chửa

[t͡ɕet̚˧˦ t͡ɕɨə˧˩]

[t͡ɕet̚˦˧˥ t͡ɕɨə˧˨]

[cəːt̚˦˥ cɨə˨˩˦]


chết dở

[t͡ɕet̚˧˦ zəː˧˩]

[t͡ɕet̚˦˧˥ jəː˧˨]

[cəːt̚˦˥ jəː˨˩˦]


chết tiệt

[t͡ɕet̚˧˦ tiət̚˧˨ʔ]

[t͡ɕet̚˦˧˥ tiək̚˨˩ʔ]

[cəːt̚˦˥ tiək̚˨˩˨]

damn; fucking; shit (for expressing hatred and frustration)


chó chết

[t͡ɕɔ˧˦ t͡ɕet̚˧˦]

[t͡ɕɔ˨˩˦ t͡ɕet̚˦˧˥]

[cɔ˦˥ cəːt̚˦˥]

(vulgar) damn; shit; crap (a curse word)


dừng lại

[zɨŋ˨˩ laːj˧˨ʔ]

[jɨŋ˦˩ laːj˨˩ʔ]

[jɨŋ˨˩ laːj˨˩˨]

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Jessica Nguyen (Pamputt)-dừng lại.wav


lắm chuyện

[lam˦˧˥ t͡ɕwiəŋ˨˩ʔ]

[lam˦˥ c⁽ʷ⁾iəŋ˨˩˨]

Để tao chỉ cho mà làm !
Lắm chuyện ! Ai mướn mày đâu !
Let me show you how to do it!
Take a hike! I'm not asking you!

none of your business
none of your business

shut up; take a hike; it's none of your business; quiet, you're so nosy; keep your nose out of my business


trời ạ

[t͡ɕəːj˨˩ ʔaː˧˨ʔ]

[ʈəːj˦˩ ʔaː˨˩ʔ]

[ʈəːj˨˩ ʔaː˨˩˨]

trời (“heaven”) + ạ (politeness particle).

af

Trời ạ ! Đã bảo là đừng có động vào đồ của người ta mà không chịu nghe !

Oh for heaven's sake! I told you not to touch my stuff and you didn't listen!

for heaven's sake; for God's sake; for Christ's sake; for Pete's sake; for goodness' sake


mèn đét ơi

[mɛn˨˩ ʔɗɛt̚˧˦ ʔəːj˧˧]

[mɛŋ˦˩ ʔɗɛt̚˦˧˥ ʔəːj˧˧]

[mɛŋ˨˩ ʔɗɛk̚˦˥ ʔəːj˧˧]

(Southern Vietnam) Jesus Christ; holy shit


chao ôi

[t͡ɕaːw˧˧ ʔoj˧˧]

[t͡ɕaːw˧˧ ʔoj˧˧]

(literary, when you have a strong emotion such as regret, pain, sadness, grief, etc.) God; my God; dear God; dear Lord

when you have a strong emotion such as regret; pain; sadness; grief; when you have a strong emotion such as regret; pain; sadness; grief


chó đểu

[t͡ɕɔ˧˦ ʔɗew˧˩]

[t͡ɕɔ˨˩˦ ʔɗew˧˨]

[cɔ˦˥ ʔɗew˨˩˦]

chó (“dog”) + đểu (“ill-bred; unmannered”).


nhà là phải có nóc

Derived from con có cha như nhà có nóc; literally "a house must have a roof (and so children must have a father)".

"Đội vợ lên đầu là trường sinh bất tử", đúng chuẩn nhà là phải có nóc!

2021 January 1, Tiểu Phong, “Năm mới ước gì có bạn trai như Vương An Vũ (Trăm Năm Hòa Hợp): Đúng chuẩn "nhà phải có nóc", của cải dâng vợ hết nha!”, in Kenh14:

"Letting your wife ride your head is the key to immortality (lit. happy wife, happy life)"; true, and a house must have a roof!

refrain used by henpecked men to justify staying or their situation


rột

tiếng rột rột


cạn chén

cạn (“to down”) + chén (“Chinese-style small handleless cup”), calque of Chinese 乾杯／干杯 (can bôi)

af

(drinking) let's down our (alcoholic) drinks


khò khò

[kʰɔ˦˩ kʰɔ˦˩]

[kʰɔ˨˩ kʰɔ˨˩]


thế à

[tʰe˧˦ ʔaː˨˩]

[tʰej˨˩˦ ʔaː˦˩]

[tʰej˦˥ ʔaː˨˩]

Thế à, bây giờ cũng vẫn có cyclo máy ạ.
Really, they still have motorized pedicabs.

(Northern Vietnam, colloquial) really, truly


vậy hả

[vəj˧˨ʔ haː˧˩]

[vəj˨˩ʔ haː˧˨]

[vəj˨˩˨ haː˨˩˦]

[jəj˨˩˨ haː˨˩˦]


à thế à

[ʔaː˨˩ tʰe˧˦ ʔaː˨˩]

[ʔaː˦˩ tʰej˨˩˦ ʔaː˦˩]

[ʔaː˨˩ tʰej˦˥ ʔaː˨˩]

À thế à? Thế thì thưa chị thường thường một cái áo dài thì họ tính bao nhiêu?

Oh really? Then how much do they usually charge for an ao dai?

(Northern Vietnam, colloquial) oh really?; is that right?


hừm

Expression of anger or uttered under threat.


ái chà

[ʔaːj˧˦ t͡ɕaː˨˩]

[ʔaːj˨˩˦ t͡ɕaː˦˩]

[ʔaːj˦˥ caː˨˩]

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Jessica Nguyen (Pamputt)-ái chà.wav


thôi rồi, Lượm ơi

From a line in the poem Lượm, of the titular boy who worked as a military messenger. The line, literally "that's the end of you, sweet Lượm", was uttered right at the moment he was fatally shot.


tiên sư

[tiən˧˧ sɨ˧˧]

[tiəŋ˧˧ ʂɨ˧˧]

[tiəŋ˧˧ sɨ˧˧]

[tiəŋ˧˧ ʂɨ˧˧]

[tiəŋ˧˧ sɨ˧˧]

(Northern Vietnam, offensive) used in insults


huỵch

Y vừa nói vừa bước tới bước lui, chợt sơ ý đạp lên vũng rượu cạnh Khưu Xử Cơ, huỵch một tiếng, ngã dúi vào người Khưu Xử Cơ.

2005, chapter 2, in Cao Tự Thanh, transl., Anh hùng xạ điêu, Văn học, translation of 射雕英雄传 by Jīn Yōng (Kim Dung):

Speaking and going to and fro at the same time, suddenly he inadvertently stepped in the puddle of rice wine besides Qiū Chǔjī and with a thwack he fell head first into Qiū Chǔjī.


lại nữa

[laːj˧˨ʔ nɨə˦ˀ˥]

[laːj˨˩ʔ nɨə˧˨]

[laːj˨˩˨ nɨə˨˩˦]

not again; not this again; oh for Pete's sake, again?


phắn

(impolite, offensive) Get lost!; Beat it!


chu choa

[t͡ɕu˧˧ t͡ɕwaː˧˧]

[t͡ɕʊw˧˧ t͡ɕwaː˧˧]

[cʊw˧˧ c⁽ʷ⁾aː˧˧]

Chu choa mạ ơi!

(chiefly Central Vietnam, humorous in Northern Vietnam and Southern Vietnam) an interjection of surprise and amazement; Oh my God!; Oh my!


a ha

[ʔaː˧˧ haː˧˧]

[ʔaː˧˧ haː˧˧]

[ʔaː˧˧ haː˧˧]

A ha, thắng rồi!

An expression of joy, approval, or delight.


á đù

[ʔaː˧˦ ʔɗu˨˩]

[ʔaː˨˩˦ ʔɗʊw˦˩]

[ʔaː˦˥ ʔɗʊw˨˩]

Originally used in the South Central dialects of Da Nang & Quảng Nam province, spread to other dialects through its usage in comedic videos on YouTube.

(originally South Central Vietnam, vulgar) oh, shit, holy shit

Da Nang
Quảng Nam province
South Central Coast


mẹc

Thằng Tây mặt đỏ bụng to,/Miệng luôn chửi mẹc, xà lù cô-soong.

The Westerner whose face is red and belly is big,/His mouth curses merde, "salaud", "cochon"

Mẹc xà lù. Bà má tui ơi.

Mẹc xà lù... Thằng Vinh Mát đi đâu mà bảnh vậy kìa?

Damn... Where is Vinh Mát going, handsomely dressed like that?


ầu ơ

[ʔəw˨˩ ʔəː˧˧]

[ʔəw˦˩ ʔəː˧˧]

[ʔəw˨˩ ʔəː˧˧]

Ầu ơ ví dầu cầu ván đóng đinh....

Sleep tight my child, if there's a wooden plank bridge held together merely by nails...

Placed at the beginning of a stanza in lullabies


kĩu kịt

[kiw˨˩˦ kɨt̚˨˩˨]

tiếng kĩu cà kĩu kịt đều đều

(onomatopoeia) Describes the squeak made by carrying a loaded carrying pole.


toẹt

[t⁽ʷ⁾ɛk̚˨˩˨]


thượng lộ bình an

[tʰɨəŋ˧˨ʔ lo˧˨ʔ ʔɓïŋ˨˩ ʔaːn˧˧]

[tʰɨəŋ˨˩ʔ low˨˩ʔ ʔɓɨn˦˩ ʔaːŋ˧˧]

[tʰɨəŋ˨˩˨ low˨˩˨ ʔɓɨn˨˩ ʔaːŋ˧˧]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 上路平安. This is very similar to Chinese 一路平安 (nhất lộ bình an).
Note that although 上 here acts as a verb, the reading thượng is used, not the verbal thướng.

(idiomatic) may you have a safe journey; bon voyage


a-lê-hấp

[ʔaː˧˧ le˧˧ həp̚˧˦]

[ʔaː˧˧ lej˧˧ həp̚˦˧˥]

[ʔaː˧˧ lej˧˧ həp̚˦˥]


a men

[ʔaː˧˧ mɛn˧˧]

[ʔaː˧˧ mɛŋ˧˧]

[ʔaː˧˧ mɛŋ˧˧]


đậu xanh rau má

[ʔɗəw˧˨ʔ sajŋ̟˧˧ zaw˧˧ maː˧˦]

[ʔɗəw˨˩ʔ sɛɲ˧˧ ʐaw˧˧ maː˨˩˦]

[ʔɗəw˨˩˨ san˧˧ ɹa(ː)w˧˧ maː˦˥]

From đậu xanh (“mung bean”) + rau má (“Indian pennywort”), a minced oath of đậu má by adding two other syllables to the middle of the word.

com

(idiomatic, slang, minced oath, humorous) Synonym of đụ má.


oàm oạp

[ʔwaːm˨˩ ʔwaːp̚˧˨ʔ]

[ʔwaːm˦˩ ʔwaːp̚˨˩ʔ]

Ếch chui vào bộng cây ăn sâu dước nước kêu "oàm oạp, oàm oạp" để khỉ biết nó còn sống.

1999, Ban Văn học Việt Nam, Truyện cổ các dân tộc ít người Việt Nam, volume 6, Hanoi: Nhà xuất bản Văn học, page 81:

The frog hid into an underwater hollow and croaked "oàm oạp, oàm oạp" to let the monkey know it was still alive.

(rare, onomatopoeic) the sound that frogs or toads make


trầu quơ

/ʈəw˧˩ wəːˠ˧˧/

[ʈəw˧˩ wəːɰ˧˧]

See trời ơi. This phrase shows several sound changes in the Nẫu dialects: the incomplete /əːj/ - /oj/ merger, the subsequent /oj > əw/ shift, and finally the /əːj > əːˠ/ shift of the rest of items with /əːj/. The /w/ in quơ seems to be sporadic linking /w/.
* /ʈəːjᴬ² əːjᴬ¹/ > /ʈojᴬ² əːjᴬ¹/ (incomplete /əːj/ - /oj/ merger) > /ʈəwᴬ² əːjᴬ¹/ (/oj > əw/ shift) > /ʈəwᴬ² əːˠᴬ¹/ (/əːj > əːˠ/ shift of the rest of /əːj/) > /ʈəwᴬ² wəːˠᴬ¹/ (sporadic linking /w/).
This form seems to be more common in Bình Định, while trầu quâu is more common in Phú Yên, where /əːj/ - /oj/ merger was more completed. Although it seems that there is no Nẫu dialect where the merger was fully completed.

IPAfont

/ʈəːjᴬ² əːjᴬ¹/ > /ʈojᴬ² əːjᴬ¹/

/ʈəːjᴬ² əːjᴬ¹/ > /ʈojᴬ² əːjᴬ¹/

/ʈəwᴬ² əːjᴬ¹/

/ʈəwᴬ² əːjᴬ¹/

/ʈəwᴬ² əːˠᴬ¹/

/ʈəwᴬ² əːˠᴬ¹/

/ʈəwᴬ² wəːˠᴬ¹/

/ʈəwᴬ² wəːˠᴬ¹/

Bình Định form of trời ơi (“God, dear God”)

trầu quâu

Nẫu dialects with more complete /əːj/ - /oj/ merger


bính bong

[ʔɓïŋ˧˦ ʔɓawŋ͡m˧˧]

[ʔɓɨn˦˧˥ ʔɓawŋ͡m˧˧]

[ʔɓɨn˦˧˥ ʔɓɔŋ˧˧]

[ʔɓɨn˦˥ ʔɓawŋ͡m˧˧]

ding dong (onomatopoeia for the sound of a doorbell)


bính boong

[ʔɓïŋ˧˦ ʔɓɔŋ˧˧]

[ʔɓɨn˦˧˥ ʔɓɔŋ͡m˧˧]

[ʔɓɨn˦˥ ʔɓɔŋ˧˧]


Giêsu Maria

[ze˧˧ su˧˧ maː˧˧ zi˧˧ ʔaː˧˧]

[jej˧˧ ʂʊw˧˧ maː˧˧ ʐɪj˧˧ ʔaː˧˧]

[jej˧˧ sʊw˧˧ maː˧˧ ʐɪj˧˧ ʔaː˧˧]

[jej˧˧ ʂʊw˧˧ maː˧˧ ɹɪj˧˧ ʔaː˧˧]

[jej˧˧ sʊw˧˧ maː˧˧ ɹɪj˧˧ ʔaː˧˧]

Giêsu (“Jesus”) + Maria (“Mary”). Compare English Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

(idiomatic, Roman Catholicism) Expletive, used to add emphasis.