mền

cái (classifier)
tấm (classifier)
𢅧 (CJK)
𬡴 (CJK)
𧚭 (CJK)

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 棉 (SV: miên) (Old Chinese /*men/ (Zhengzhang)). Compare Sui myeenz (“quilt”).

der

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

vi-etym-sino

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) blanket


hên xui

(Southern Vietnam) lucky and unlucky; haphazard; random; dependent on chance


nát

(Northern Vietnam) to intimidate, to cow


xe ôm

[sɛ˧˧ ʔom˧˧]

[sɛ˧˧ ʔom˧˧]

[sɛ˧˧ ʔom˧˧]

xe (“vehicle”) + ôm (“to hug; to embrace”), supposedly called so because you would hug the rider so you won't fall.

com

(chiefly Northern Vietnam, vehicles) a motorcycle taxi


lọ

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) soot


rờ

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to touch


khảy

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to pluck (a stringed musical instrument)


ngõi

chẳng ngõi

Hết cả các thứ rồi còn ngõi gì nữa.

Everything is finished, what more do you expect?

(Northern Vietnam) to expect; pursue; to long and desire


lội

From Proto-Mon-Khmer *lujʔ ~ *luuj() ~ *luəj() ~ *ləəj() (“to wade; to swim”). Cognate with Khmer លុយ (luy), Mon လုဲ, Riang luj². Compare also Proto-Tai *loːjᴬ (“to swim”) (whence Thai ลอย (lɔɔi)).

inh

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to swim


chụm

Compare Pacoh adyúm (“to push sticks into fire”).

cog

Bỏ thêm củi vô chụm cho nước mau sôi coi.

Let's put more wood into the fire so that the water boils more quickly.

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to put into the fire


hổng

Derived from hông, which is a non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 空 (“empty, hollow”, SV: không). Doublet of không.

der

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

vi-etym-sino

Hổng chịu đâu!

Hổng phải đâu!

Hổng có đâu!

There's no such thing! / I haven't done that! (precise meaning is context-dependent)

Hổng (có) được đâu!

That's no good! / That's not viable! / That's not allowed! (precise meaning is context-dependent)

Hổng (có) (làm) được đâu!

1992, Nguyễn Văn Hiên (lyrics and music), Không Dám Đâu (I Wouldn't Dare!), performance by Hiền Thục
Hông dám đâu! Em còn phải học bài.
Hông dám đâu! Em còn phải làm bài.
‘Sao khó ghê? Mai mình hãy ôn bài!’
‘Hông dám đâu! Hổng dám đâu!’
I wouldn't dare! I still have to study.
I wouldn't dare! I still have homework.
‘Why so fastidious? We can revise tomorrow!’


giùm

Ferlus, 2009: From Proto-Vietic *p-tʃuːm, a prefixed form of Proto-Vietic *tʃuːm (“to gather”), via the changes of /p-tʃuːm/ > /p-ʝuːm/ > /ʝuːm/. The forms of gium (“to help”), giúm (“to help each other”) and giụm (“to put together”) are attested in older dictionaries. Related to xum (“to meet; to get together”, now obsolete), xúm (“to gather; to collect”), chùm (“bunch; cluster”) and chụm (“to assemble; to gather”). Outside Vietic, related to Khmer ប្រជុំ (prɑɑcum, “to gather; to meet together”) → Thai ประชุม (bprà-chum, “to gather; to meet”).

cog

Mày mua giùm tao điếu thuốc cái coi!

Get me a cigarette while you're at it, please!

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) in someone else's stead


trụng

[t͡ɕʊwŋ͡m˧˨ʔ]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to dip in boiling water; to scald


đình

(Northern Vietnam, Central Vietnam) village shrine


lấn

head

𢭹, 𪡍, 吝, 粦, 遴, 論

vi-verb

𢭹, 𪡍, 吝, 粦, 遴, 論

𢭹 (CJK)
𪡍 (CJK)
吝 (CJK)
粦 (CJK)
遴 (CJK)
論 (CJK)

(Southern Vietnam) to jostle; to push in order to squeeze in


ói

From Proto-Vietic *ʔoːlʔ (“to choke while eating”), from Proto-Mon-Khmer *ʔul() ~ *ʔuəlʔ ~ *ʔəl() ~ *hul() (“nausea; to choke; to vomit”). Cognate with Chut [Rục] ʔoːl³, Arem ʔuəlˀ ("to choke"), Pacoh oal, Khmer អួល (ʼuəl, “to gag; to choke”).

inh

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to vomit


y chang

[ʔi˧˧ t͡ɕaːŋ˧˧]

[ʔɪj˧˧ t͡ɕaːŋ˧˧]

[ʔɪj˧˧ caːŋ˧˧]

(Southern Vietnam) just like; be the same


ngừa

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 禦 (“to defend; to resist”, SV: ngự).

der

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


bòn bon

cây (classifier)
trái (classifier)
quả (classifier)

[ʔɓɔn˨˩ ʔɓɔn˧˧]

[ʔɓɔŋ˦˩ ʔɓɔŋ˧˧]

[ʔɓɔŋ˨˩ ʔɓɔŋ˧˧]

Lansium domesticum
Lansium domesticum#Translingual

(Southern Vietnam) langsat (Lansium domesticum)


cành

From Proto-Vietic *t-kɛːŋʔ ~ *t-gɛːŋʔ, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *kaŋ ~ *kaaŋ ~ *kaiŋ() ~ *kiəŋ ~ *kaik; cognate with Arem
kɑːŋˀ, Chut [Rục] təkɛːŋ³ and Sedang tơkang.
Pain (2020) thinks that the tonal disharmonies were due to emergence of two Late proto-Vietic sociolects: a lightly sinicised peripheric hinterland sociolect and a heavily sinicised urban sociolect.

(colloquial, Northern Vietnam) one thousand dongs

xị

ten thousand or one hundred thousand dongs

lít

one hundred thousand or one million dongs


đàng

Lên đàng, ta người Việt Nam. / Nhìn tương lai huy hoàng, Đoàn ta bước lên đàng, cùng hiên ngang hát vang !

1944, Lưu Hữu Phước (lyrics and music), “Lên đàng [Hit the Road]”

Hit the road, we people of Vietnam. / Looking forward to a bright future, our Union hits the road, and proudly sings on!

(archaic or dialectal, Central Vietnam) Alternative form of đường (“road”)

(dialectal, Central Vietnam) Alternative form of đằng (“direction; way”)


bèo tây

[ʔɓɛw˨˩ təj˧˧]

[ʔɓɛw˦˩ təj˧˧]

[ʔɓɛw˨˩ təj˧˧]

(Northern Vietnam, Central Vietnam) water hyacinth


lục bình

cây (classifier)
hoa (classifier)
bông (classifier)

[lʊwk͡p̚˧˨ʔ ʔɓïŋ˨˩]

[lʊwk͡p̚˨˩ʔ ʔɓɨn˦˩]

[lʊwk͡p̚˨˩˨ ʔɓɨn˨˩]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 綠 (“green”) and 萍 (“duckweed”).


mã tà

[maː˦ˀ˥ taː˨˩]

[maː˧˨ taː˦˩]

[maː˨˩˦ taː˨˩]

Unknown. Perhaps from Malay mata(-mata) (“police”) or from French matraque. Compare Min Nan 馬打／马打 (má-tâ), Thai หมาต๋า (mǎa-dtǎa).

(Southern Vietnam, historical) policeman during the French colonial period


hủ tíu

(chiefly Southern Vietnam) Alternative form of hủ tiếu


nôn

head

農, 𡁛, 𡄨, 𡽫, 𧀒, 𫬣

vi-verb

農, 𡁛, 𡄨, 𡽫, 𧀒, 𫬣

農 (CJK)
𡁛 (CJK)
𡄨 (CJK)
𡽫 (CJK)
𧀒 (CJK)
𫬣 (CJK)

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

(Northern Vietnam) to throw up; to vomit


nôn

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) anxious; impatient; eager


miểng

Nói chuyện gì mà văng miểng tùm lum!

You can't just talk without showering on people, can you?

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) Synonym of nước miếng (“drool; spit”)


mì gói

[mi˨˩ ɣɔj˧˦]

[mɪj˦˩ ɣɔj˨˩˦]

[mɪj˨˩ ɣɔj˦˥]

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) instant noodles


ẵm

(Southern Vietnam) to hold something gently in one's arm


đi cầu

[ʔɗi˧˧ kəw˨˩]

[ʔɗɪj˧˧ kəw˦˩]

[ʔɗɪj˧˧ kəw˨˩]


nịt

Originally the noun derivative of rịt (“‘to fasten; to tie’”).

(Southern Vietnam, Central Vietnam) belt


mì tôm

From mì (“noodles”) + tôm (“shrimp”), so called because early instant noodles in Northern Vietnam (manufactured by Colusa – Miliket) is packaged with shrimp patterns.

(Northern Vietnam, colloquial) instant noodles


vờ

Xác như vờ, xơ như nhộng


cắm

From Proto-Vietic *gamʔ ~ kamʔ (“to bite”). Cognate with mainstream Vietnamese gặm (“to gnaw”), Arem kɐ̀mˀ ("to bite").


vụt

head

挬, 桲, 樾, 𨁝, 𨅗

vụt • (挬, 桲, 樾, 𨁝, 𨅗) (reduplication vùn vụt)

vi-verb

挬, 桲, 樾, 𨁝, 𨅗

挬 (CJK)
桲 (CJK)
樾 (CJK)
𨁝 (CJK)
𨅗 (CJK)
vùn vụt (reduplication)

Compare vọt as well as the pair phụt, phọt.

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to toss; to throw (forcefully and far)

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to throw away; to discard


vừng

vi-noun

(classifier cây, hạt, hột) vừng • (𣜸, 𥣐, 𦾥, 𧁸)

cây (classifier)
hạt (classifier)
hột (classifier)
𣜸 (CJK)
𥣐 (CJK)
𦾥 (CJK)
𧁸 (CJK)

From Proto-Vietic *vɨŋ (“sesame”). Compare Proto-Katuic *lawɨŋ and Proto-Be *vəŋᴬ².

Vừng ơi, mở ra!


ngoẹo

(Central Vietnam, Northern Vietnam) to turn; to make a turn


quăng

Cognate with Arem kwaŋ, Khasi kawang (“to throw, hurl”). Ultimately of imitative origin, compare English wang.
See also quẳng and văng.

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to throw away; to toss out


ruốc

(classifier con (“the shrimps”)) ruốc • (𩽖)

Perhaps from Proto-Mon-Khmer *prhuək, derived from *phɔɔk ~ *pʔɔɔk (“fish-paste”); compare Khmer ប្រហុក (prɑɑhok, “fish-paste”), ផ្អក (phʼɑɑk, “fish-paste”), Mon ဖြံက် (hərɔk, “fish-paste”).


hòm

cái (classifier)
㮀 (CJK)
函 (CJK)
梒 (CJK)

→ Tai Dam: ꪭꪮꪣ

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 函 (“case”, SV: hàm).

der

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

vi-etym-sino

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) coffin; casket


ghệ

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial, often disrespectful) girlfriend; girl


nhậu nhẹt

[ɲəw˧˨ʔ ɲɛt̚˧˨ʔ]

[ɲəw˨˩ʔ ɲɛt̚˨˩ʔ]

[ɲəw˨˩˨ ɲɛk̚˨˩˨]

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) to drink hard; to booze; to carouse


hôn hít

[hoŋ˧˧ hit̚˦˧˥]

[hoŋ˧˧ hɨt̚˦˥]


bự

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

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) big (in size or importance); great; influential


nước sôi

[nɨək̚˧˦ soj˧˧]

[nɨək̚˦˧˥ ʂoj˧˧]

[nɨək̚˦˧˥ soj˧˧]

[nɨək̚˦˥ ʂoj˧˧]

[nɨək̚˦˥ soj˧˧]

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


bò cạp

[ʔɓɔ˨˩ kaːp̚˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɓɔ˦˩ kaːp̚˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɓɔ˨˩ kaːp̚˨˩˨]

(Southern Vietnam) shivering (from cold with teeth clattering); trembling


nhà cầu

[ɲaː˨˩ kəw˨˩]

[ɲaː˦˩ kəw˦˩]

[ɲaː˨˩ kəw˨˩]

nhà (“house”) + cầu (“bridge, latrine”).


lờn

Central Vietnam and Southern Vietnam form of nhờn


gạt

(Southern Vietnam) to give security for (debt)


gạt

(Southern Vietnam) to dupe; to trick; to cheat


cá tràu

[kaː˧˦ t͡ɕaw˨˩]

[kaː˨˩˦ ʈaw˦˩]


cá lóc

[kaː˨˩˦ lawk͡p̚˦˧˥]

cá lóc nướng trui


cá chuối

[kaː˧˦ t͡ɕuəj˧˦]

[kaː˨˩˦ t͡ɕuj˨˩˦]

From cá (“fish”) + chuối (“banana”), literally “banana fish”, because of the shape.


hĩm

(dated or dialectal, Central Vietnam, colloquial) baby girl; little girl (as used by a farmer)

(Central Vietnam, colloquial) Name used to call a close farmer friend who has a first-born baby girl.


cùi

Cognate with Chut [Rục] kuːl² ("cob of corn").

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

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) of low quality


hơi bị

[həːj˧˧ ʔɓi˧˨ʔ]

[həːj˧˧ ʔɓɪj˨˩ʔ]

[həːj˧˧ ʔɓɪj˨˩˨]

Phim hơi bị hay đó!

Thằng đó hơi bị ngu.

(before adjectives, Southern Vietnam, informal) mighty; damn; freaking; frigging; compare English quite which means both "fairly" and "very"


mì chính

[mi˨˩ t͡ɕïŋ˧˦]

[mɪj˦˩ t͡ɕɨn˦˧˥]

[mɪj˨˩ cɨn˦˥]

Borrowed from Cantonese 味精 (mei⁶ zing¹), from a genericized trademark of Tien Chu Ve-Tsin food company. The "味精" trademark itself ultimately comes from Japanese 味(み)精(せい) (misei). Doublet of vị tinh.

monosodium glutamate
monosodium glutamate

(Northern Vietnam, Central Vietnam) monosodium glutamate


lợn đất

[ləːn˧˨ʔ ʔɗət̚˧˦]

[ləːŋ˨˩ʔ ʔɗək̚˦˧˥]

[ləːŋ˨˩˨ ʔɗək̚˦˥]

lợn (“pig”) + đất (“earth”), also a calque of Afrikaans aardvark

(Northern Vietnam) a porcelain piggy bank


trêu

head

𠶅, 撩, 󰄂, 󰃫, 憭, 𠰉, 嘲, 𠺕, 𡃔, 嘹

vi-verb

𠶅, 撩, 󰄂, 󰃫, 憭, 𠰉, 嘲, 𠺕, 𡃔, 嘹

𠶅 (CJK)
撩 (CJK)
憭 (CJK)
𠰉 (CJK)
嘲 (CJK)
𠺕 (CJK)
𡃔 (CJK)
嘹 (CJK)

(chiefly Northern Vietnam) to tease, to poke fun


lí lắc

[lɪj˨˩˦ lak̚˦˧˥]


nghịch

Sino-Vietnamese word from 逆 (“to oppose”). Doublet of ngược.

vi-etym-sino

Thằng cu con em nghịch như giặc.

(chiefly Northern Vietnam, usually of a child) to be playfully naughty


quậy

head

挂, 掛, 揆, 癸, 跪

vi-verb

挂, 掛, 揆, 癸, 跪

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) to disturb; to harass; to be mischievous


tiểu bang

[tiəw˧˩ ʔɓaːŋ˧˧]

[tiw˧˨ ʔɓaːŋ˧˧]

[tiw˨˩˦ ʔɓaːŋ˧˧]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 小邦, composed of 小 (“small”) and 邦 (“polity”).


bỏ mẹ

[ʔɓɔ˧˩ mɛ˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɓɔ˧˨ mɛ˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɓɔ˨˩˦ mɛ˨˩˨]

Cẩn thận không thì bỏ mẹ đó !

Từ “bỏ mẹ” ấy hoàn toàn khác ngữ cảnh một người vỗ đùi cái đét: “Thế à? Bỏ mẹ rồi”, tức sự việc đã hỏng bét, gặp nguy khốn.
The bỏ mẹ is not at all like one in the context of someone slapping their knee and going, “Thế à? Bỏ mẹ rồi,” (“Is that so? What a shit show”) which means the situation has gone south.]

[2017, Lê Minh Quốc, Lắt Léo TIếNG VIệT [Confusing VIeTNAMeSe], Nhà xuất bản Trẻ

(Northern Vietnam, vulgar) the situation in question will go to shit


bỏ mẹ

[ʔɓɔ˧˩ mɛ˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɓɔ˧˨ mɛ˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɓɔ˨˩˦ mɛ˨˩˨]

ngu bỏ mẹ

- Cái số ông anh vất vả bỏ mẹ - Anh ta nói - Cả đời được mỗi một dịp đi nghỉ an dưỡng lại sốt. Tôi gọi bác sĩ nhé.

2006, Nguyễn Triệu, editor, NHÀ VĂN HIỆN ĐẠI QUẢNG NINH - tác phẩm chọn lọc [MODERN QUẢNG NINH WRITERS: select works], Nhà xuất bản Hội Nhà văn

“Talk about shitty luck,” he said, “One good vacation your entire life and you got sick on it. Should I call a doctor?”

Vậy mà ai rủ đi chơi cũng ô kê, rồi về than: “Chúng nó uống thì chúng nó say, còn mình ngồi không mệt bỏ mẹ!” Nhưng ông không từ chối một cuộc chơi nào. Cũng ham vui… bỏ mẹ!

2010, Diệu Kim, “MỌT SÁCH [BOOKWORM]”, in HOA của mỗi người [everyone’s FLOWER], page 147

Yet every time somebody asked him out, he said yes, only to whine after the fact, “They drank themselves senseless, I did nothing and it fucking sucked.” But he never said no. He was always… pretty much a player!

(Northern Vietnam, vulgar) so fucking much

Không câm mồm tao đánh bỏ mẹ mày bây giờ !

Shut your mouth or I'll beat the living shit out of you!

(Northern Vietnam, vulgar, after a verb for assault) the shit out of


mầu

(Northern Vietnam) Alternative form of màu (“colour; crops”)


lắp

(Southern Vietnam) Alternative form of lấp (“to fill”)


giở

Doublet of trở in modern written Vietnamese.
Originally the (inland) Northern form (see giai for the sound change), now widely used in the written language. In the meaning "to turn, to change", its usage has been eclipsed by the Central-Southern form trở.
Attested in Phật thuyết đại báo phụ mẫu ân trọng kinh (佛說大報父母恩重經) as ⿰呂巴, composed of 巴 (MC pae) + 呂 (MC ljoX) (modern SV: ba lã) and 呂 (MC ljoX) (modern SV: lã).

Bà kia y nhời ấy giở về làm cơm. Ông ấy mới cầm một con dao to lội xuống ruộng dọn cỏ, chưa đến buổi trưa, đã dọn quang cả 5 mẫu ruộng. Dọn xong, nằm ngủ dưới gốc cây, tiếng ngáy như sấm.

1909, Phan Kế Bính, “Lương-hữu-Khánh”, in Nam Hải dị nhân liệt truyện

The old lady followed his words and went home to prepare a meal. He took a big machete, wading through the fields to clear all the vegetation; not even noon, he had already cleared five mẫu. Done with slashing weeds, he took a nap in the shade of a tree, his snores were thunderous.

Tiếng kêu râm ran:
- Nó chiếm sở Tài chính rồi! Nó giở mặt thực sự rồi!
Voices resounded:

1961, Nguyễn Huy Tưởng, Sống mãi với Thủ Đô

- They got the Financial building! They had really betrayed us!

Northern Vietnam form of trở (“to turn, to change”)

trở

originally Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, now widely used


méc

This word is semantic rather than merely onomatopoeic, which makes /ɛːk/ an unusual rhyme even for southern dialects (the old rhyme /ɛːk/ has developed into in most words, from example, Vietnamese hạch < Proto-Vietic *-hɛːk). Some authors have spelt it mét instead. See also ẹc.

(colloquial, Southern Vietnam) to sneak, to tell, to report (something bad) about someone


dức

der

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

vi-etym-sino

non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 責 (SV: trách)

(Central Vietnam) to deride; to abuse; to insult; to reprove


tàn bạo

[taːn˨˩ ʔɓaːw˧˨ʔ]

[taːŋ˦˩ ʔɓaːw˨˩ʔ]

[taːŋ˨˩ ʔɓaːw˨˩˨]

(informal, Southern Vietnam) totally; extremely


giồng

Northern Vietnam form of trồng (“to plant”)


giồng

(Southern Vietnam, especially Mekong Delta) an elevated alluvial stretch of land


nhỏng

Đầu súng nhỏng lên trời.


hãi

(Southern Vietnam) to fear; to be afraid (of)


dơ

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

Perhaps a dialectal variant that can occur alone of nhơ. Compare the synonyms dơ bẩn and nhơ bẩn. See also dòm and nhòm.

đồ dơ

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) dirty; unclean


bịnh

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) Alternative form of bệnh


giỏ

(Northern Vietnam) Alternative form of nhỏ (“to drip”)


bố khỉ

[ʔɓo˧˦ xi˧˩]

[ʔɓow˨˩˦ kʰɪj˧˨]

[ʔɓow˨˩˦ xɪj˧˨]

[ʔɓow˦˥ kʰɪj˨˩˦]

[ʔɓow˦˥ xɪj˨˩˦]


ba lăm

[ʔɓaː˧˧ lam˧˧]

[ʔɓaː˧˧ lam˧˧]

[ʔɓaː˧˧ lam˧˧]

giở trò ba lăm

to sexually prey on someone; to perform a perverted act on someone

Cái thằng ba lăm này!

(slang, Southern Vietnam) sexually predatory


giỡn

Cognate with rỡn in cà rỡn and possibly nhởn.

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, colloquial) to joke, to play


trầm mình

[t͡ɕəm˨˩ mïŋ˨˩]

[ʈəm˦˩ mɨn˦˩]

[ʈəm˨˩ mɨn˨˩]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) Alternative form of trẫm mình


dử

(dialectal, Northern Vietnam) rheum (eye discharge)


điếm

Thằng đó điếm lắm!

(colloquial, Southern Vietnam, games) being a cheater


đọt mọt

[ʔɗɔt̚˧˨ʔ mɔt̚˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɗɔk̚˨˩ʔ mɔk̚˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɗɔk̚˨˩˨ mɔk̚˨˩˨]


rứa

Part of the r-series of demonstratives, along with rày, ri, ru, sao.

nơi nào. 2 Can be used on its own

where; no longer completely true in the modern language

where; this much; where *C is nonspecific consonant

đâu. 3 From earlier *C-raːw. 4 Placed before the head: bây nhiêu ()

bao nhiêu. 5 Placed after the head: nhanh vầy ()

Mi đi mô về rứa?

(Central Vietnam) final particle used in an interrogative sentence


bồn cầu

[ʔɓon˨˩ kəw˨˩]

[ʔɓoŋ˦˩ kəw˦˩]

[ʔɓoŋ˨˩ kəw˨˩]


kiếng

Southern Vietnam form of kính (“glasses”)


dơ bẩn

[zəː˧˧ ʔɓən˧˩]

[jəː˧˧ ʔɓəŋ˧˨]

[jəː˧˧ ʔɓəŋ˨˩˦]


dầu thơm

[zəw˨˩ tʰəːm˧˧]

[jəw˦˩ tʰəːm˧˧]

[jəw˨˩ tʰəːm˧˧]


khoai mì

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) cassava


xế hộp

(Southern Vietnam, slang) small, box-like, four-wheeled vehicle; car


đụng

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 動 (SV: động). Compare động.

der

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

vi-etym-sino

[ʔɗʊwŋ͡m˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɗʊwŋ͡m˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɗʊwŋ͡m˨˩˨]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to meet (unexpectedly); to encounter

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to marry (each other)

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) Synonym of động (“to touch (with, upon)”)


đụng

[ʔɗʊwŋ͡m˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɗʊwŋ͡m˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɗʊwŋ͡m˨˩˨]

(Central Vietnam) Alternative form of đũng (“seat (of trousers)”)


đọi

ăn không nên đọi, nói chẳng nên lời

(literally, “cannot adequately eat a bowl of rice or say a comprehensible sentence”)

(Central Vietnam, dialectal) Synonym of bát (“small bowl for eating rice”)


núc

[nʊwk͡p̚˦˧˥]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to chug


núc

[nʊwk͡p̚˦˧˥]

béo núc

(Northern Vietnam, of an animal) plump, brawny, fat


úi

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) An expression of surprise


ối

(Northern Vietnam) An expression of surprise


lạt

Central Vietnam and Southern Vietnam form of nhạt (“tasteless; bland”)


ăn hàng

[ʔan˧˧ haːŋ˨˩]

[ʔaŋ˧˧ haːŋ˦˩]

[ʔaŋ˧˧ haːŋ˨˩]

(Southern Vietnam) to eat between meals; to snack (when outside)


ẻm

Contraction of em + the demonstrative ấy (“that”) in the southern dialects, with the latter manifested as the hỏi tone after monosyllabification.

vi-etym-hoi

(Southern Vietnam, in the singular, polite) they/them, that person who's a little younger than me

(Southern Vietnam, in the singular, polite) they/them, that student who's younger than me as a teacher


bển

Contraction of bên (“side”) + the demonstrative ấy (“that”) in the southern dialects, with the latter manifested as the hỏi tone after monosyllabification.


bển

United States of America
United States of America

(Southern Vietnam, specifically) the United States of America


cươi

Cognate with Chut [Mày] takɤl¹ (Babaev & Samarina, 2018).

lá lảy đầy cươi


trữa

Cognate with mainstream Vietnamese giữa; inherited from an unattested Central Old Vietnamese form different from the Northern Old Vietnamese attested in early Nôm texts.

North Central Vietnam form of giữa (“between, in the middle”)


cản

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 扞 (SV: hãn).

der

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


hoa quả

[waː˧˧ waː˨˩˦]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 花果, composed of 花 (“flower”) and 果 (“fruit”).


chộ

Thằng Đán thua mình bốn tuổi, chỉ sáu tuổi thôi nhưng khôn hơn rận, chuyện gì cũng biết. Nó nói chôông là giống ma đó. Mình nói ma chi. Nó nói ma l. Mình cười he he he, đá đít nó một phát, nói ba trợn. Thằng Đán trợn mắt trương gân cổ lên, nói thiệt đo, anh không tin thì thôi. Mình nhăn răng cười, nói ba láp, nói ma l. răng không giống… Thằng Đán lại trợn mắt trương gân cổ lên, nói anh chộ rồi răng nói không giống, mình tịt câm. Nó nói anh không chộ chôông toàn làm hang ở mả đàn bà à. Nghe cũng có lý
Đán was four years younger than me, but he was very clever albeit being only six. He said "the agamas are ghosts". When I asked what kind of ghost they are, he replied that they were "c*nt ghosts". I laughed, kicked his ass and said that he was just making shit up. Đán insisted vehemently that they were real and "if you don't believe me, fine". I grinned, said he was just bullshitting, "if they are really "c*nt ghosts", why do they look nothing alike?"... Đán once again argued back just as vehemently, "Have you seen them or something, how can you be so sure that they look nothing alike?", which shut me up. He said, "Don't you see that the agamas always burrow in women's graves?". "Sounds reasonable", I thought.

2014, Nguyễn Quang Lập, “Quê choa chí dị”, in Chuyện nhà quê


té giếng

[tɛ˧˦ ziəŋ˧˦]

[tɛ˨˩˦ jiəŋ˦˧˥]

[tɛ˦˥ jiəŋ˦˥]

Mày té giếng à !?

Did you friggin' hit your head or somp'n?

(Southern Vietnam, figurative, slang) to have hit your head


chà bông

[t͡ɕaː˨˩ ʔɓəwŋ͡m˧˧]

[t͡ɕaː˦˩ ʔɓəwŋ͡m˧˧]

[caː˨˩ ʔɓəwŋ͡m˧˧]


ngoắt

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, colloquial) to wag; to wave; to wiggle


cúng cơm

[kʊwŋ͡m˧˦ kəːm˧˧]

[kʊwŋ͡m˦˧˥ kəːm˧˧]

[kʊwŋ͡m˦˥ kəːm˧˧]

cúng (“to offer (sacrifices)”) + cơm (“cooked rice”).

com

(Southern Vietnam) to make ceremonial offerings on the death anniversary


mũ bảo hiểm

[mu˦ˀ˥ ʔɓaːw˧˩ hiəm˧˩]

[mʊw˧˨ ʔɓaːw˧˨ hiəm˧˨]

[mʊw˨˩˦ ʔɓaːw˨˩˦ him˨˩˦]

đội mũ bảo hiểm khi đi xe mô-tô, xe gắn máy

to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle or a scooter


quýu

(colloquial, Southern Vietnam) being in such great anxiety that one's body starts to tremble or shrink


máy điều hoà nhiệt độ

head

máy điều hoà nhiệt độ • (𣛠調和熱度)

vi-noun

máy điều hoà nhiệt độ • (𣛠調和熱度)

[maj˧˦ ʔɗiəw˨˩ hwaː˨˩ ɲiət̚˧˨ʔ ʔɗo˧˨ʔ]

[maj˨˩˦ ʔɗiw˦˩ hwaː˦˩ ɲiək̚˨˩ʔ ʔɗow˨˩ʔ]

[ma(ː)j˦˥ ʔɗiw˨˩ waː˨˩ ɲiək̚˨˩˨ ʔɗow˨˩˨]


điều hoà

[ʔɗiəw˨˩ hwaː˨˩]

[ʔɗiw˦˩ hwaː˦˩]

[ʔɗiw˨˩ waː˨˩]

máy điều hoà nhiệt độ
máy điều hoà nhiệt độ#Vietnamese

(chiefly Northern Vietnam, informal) Short for máy điều hoà nhiệt độ (“air conditioner”).


rước

(Southern Vietnam) Synonym of đón (“to pick up someone”)


cà tưng

[kaː˨˩ tɨŋ˧˧]

[kaː˦˩ tɨŋ˧˧]

[kaː˨˩ tɨŋ˧˧]

From cà- (“repetitive prefix”) + tưng (“to rebound”).

affix

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, colloquial) to keep on jumping up and down


cà rỡn

[kaː˨˩ zəːn˦ˀ˥]

[kaː˦˩ ʐəːŋ˧˨]

[kaː˨˩ ɹəːŋ˨˩˦]

From cà- (“repetitive prefix”) + rỡn (“to joke, to play”). See also giỡn.

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, colloquial) to keep on joking, playing


tắn

North Central Vietnam form of rắn (“snake”)


nón bảo hiểm

[nɔn˧˦ ʔɓaːw˧˩ hiəm˧˩]

[nɔŋ˦˧˥ ʔɓaːw˧˨ hiəm˧˨]

[nɔŋ˦˥ ʔɓaːw˨˩˦ him˨˩˦]


đặng

Nàng bước vô rạp hát thấy có người ta ngồi rải rác các hạng ước chừng năm sáu chục người. Nàng lựa hàng ghế trống rồi phăng phăng đi lại ngồi cái ghế đầu, đặng vãn hát đi ra cho dễ.

1928, Hồ Biểu Chánh, chapter 1, in Kẻ làm người chịu

She walked into the theatre and saw that there were about 50-60 people who already had their seats sitting dispersedly on seats of various classes. She chose an empty row then imprudently walked to the first seat, so that she can relish the performance better as well as having an easier time leaving.

(Central Vietnam, dated in Southern Vietnam among younger generations) in order to, so that


đặng

(Central Vietnam, dated in Southern Vietnam among younger generations) expresses ability or possibility


anh hai

[ʔajŋ̟˧˧ haːj˧˧]

[ʔɛɲ˧˧ haːj˧˧]

anh (“elder brother”) + hai (“two”); literally "the second eldest brother".
Folk etymology claims that in the times when Northern and Southern Vietnam were separated, families in the South often had the eldest son to reside in Northern Vietnam, while the second eldest son lived with the rest of the family in the South and therefore became the "eldest son".


hụ

(Southern Vietnam) to sound (usually of a siren)


đá banh

[ʔɗaː˧˦ ʔɓajŋ̟˧˧]

[ʔɗaː˨˩˦ ʔɓɛɲ˧˧]

[ʔɗaː˦˥ ʔɓan˧˧]

association football
association football

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) to play association football; soccer


đá banh

[ʔɗaː˧˦ ʔɓajŋ̟˧˧]

[ʔɗaː˨˩˦ ʔɓɛɲ˧˧]

[ʔɗaː˦˥ ʔɓan˧˧]

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) association football; soccer


bánh tráng

[ʔɓajŋ̟˧˦ t͡ɕaːŋ˧˦]

[ʔɓɛɲ˦˧˥ ʈaːŋ˦˧˥]

[ʔɓan˦˥ ʈaːŋ˦˥]

From bánh (“flour-based food”) + tráng (“to spread thinly”).

com

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) Vietnamese rice paper


bánh đa

[ʔɓajŋ̟˧˦ ʔɗaː˧˧]

[ʔɓɛɲ˦˧˥ ʔɗaː˧˧]

[ʔɓan˦˥ ʔɗaː˧˧]

Trịnh Tráng
en:Bánh tráng
naming taboo
vi:bánh đa

Often explained as being derived from bánh (“any sweet, salty, or savory food prepared from flour”) + đa (“banyan”), from the supposed resemblance of the rice paper to a banyan leaf.
This name was the result of a taboo-induced lexical replacement of the preexisting bánh tráng, during Lord Trịnh Tráng's rule of Northern Vietnam (1623–1654), when there was naming taboo of Tráng's name. The original term is now preserved in areas of Central and Southern Vietnam, which were not under the reign of Lord Trịnh Tráng at the time.

(Northern Vietnam) Vietnamese rice paper


bề bề

[ʔɓe˨˩ ʔɓe˨˩]

[ʔɓej˦˩ ʔɓej˦˩]

[ʔɓej˨˩ ʔɓej˨˩]

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 皮皮 (SV: bì bì), as in 皮皮蝦 (bì bì hà, “mantis shrimp”).

der

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


tôm tít

From tôm (“shrimp, pawn”) + tít (“centipede”). Equivalent to tôm + rết in Northern Vietnam, and tôm + rít in Southern Vietnam.
As tít is a North Central form, the phrase "tôm tít" certainly originated from that region, then spread to other Central and Southern dialects.

com

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) mantis shrimp


trầm

(Central Vietnam) to sink (into); to plunge (into)

(Central Vietnam) to keep (something) to oneself (and not give to others)

(Southern Vietnam) to make submerged underwater; to drown (something or someone)


trầm

(Southern Vietnam, of land) low and flooded


đam

From Proto-Vietic *k-taːm, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *kt₁aam (“crab”); cognate with Temiar gantam, Bahnar kơtam, Pacoh atam, Khasi tham, Khmer ក្ដាម (kdaam), Mon ဂတာံ (hətam) and Car Nicobarese ka-tām. Malay ketam is probably a Mon-Khmer loan.

(North Central Vietnam) field crab; freshwater crab


rít

Southern Vietnam form of rết (“centipede”)


rành

head

伶, 佲, 停, 炩, 𣉏

vi-verb

伶, 佲, 停, 炩, 𣉏

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to know clearly; to be acquainted (with)


rành

head

伶, 佲, 停, 炩, 𣉏

vi-adj

伶, 佲, 停, 炩, 𣉏

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, rare) clear; plain; evident; obvious


xoàn

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 鑽 (“diamond”, SV: toản).

der

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

vi-etym-sino

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) diamond


dạn

(archaic or Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) bold; brazen; not shy; not self-conscious


mồng

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 孟 (SV: mạnh).

der

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

vi-etym-sino

Ngày mồng 2 tháng 9 năm 1945, lần đầu tiên tôi trông thấy Hồ Chủ tịch. Đó là một ngày lịch sử. Ngày hôm ấy, đứng trước rất đông quần chúng hoan hô nhiệt liệt, Hồ Chủ tịch trang nghiêm đọc bản Tuyên ngôn Độc lập của nước Việt Nam dân chủ cộng hoà.

1948, Trần Dân Tiên, Những mẩu chuyện về đời hoạt động của Hồ Chủ tịch [Anecdotes from the Life and Work of President Hồ]

On September 2, 1945, I first saw President Hồ. It was a historical day, when President Hồ, standing in front of a great crowd of happily cheering people, solemnly read the Declaration of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

(Northern Vietnam) Used in front of the ten native base numerals (một, hai, ba, bốn, năm, sáu, bảy, tám, chín, mười) to denote one of the first ten days of a month, itself optionally prefixed by ngày


mồng

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) crest; comb (of cock)


ngăm

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to threaten; to intimidate


thực thà

[tʰɨk̚˧˨ʔ tʰaː˨˩]

[tʰɨk̚˨˩ʔ tʰaː˦˩]

[tʰɨk̚˨˩˨ tʰaː˨˩]

(Southern Vietnam) Alternative form of thật thà


cà chớn

[kaː˨˩ t͡ɕəːn˧˦]

[kaː˦˩ t͡ɕəːŋ˦˧˥]

[kaː˨˩ cəːŋ˦˥]

From Khmer ខ្ជិល (khcɨl, “lazy; idle; shiftless”).

bor

Mr. Bean lái cà chớn.

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) rude, sassy, insolent


bíu

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to cling


bàu

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) pond, pool


làm màu

làm (“to do, to make”) + màu (“colour”).

(colloquial, Southern Vietnam) to be flamboyant or showy

(colloquial, Southern Vietnam) to overcomplicate (a simple matter)


rinh

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, colloquial) to carry (something with both hands to another place); to carry away; to take away


phượt

(Southern Vietnam) to pass quickly; to rush past; to speed past


lu bu

[lu˧˧ ʔɓu˧˧]

[lʊw˧˧ ʔɓʊw˧˧]

[lʊw˧˧ ʔɓʊw˧˧]


nẳm

Contraction of năm (“year”) + the demonstrative ấy (“that”) in the southern dialects, with the latter manifested as the hỏi tone after monosyllabification.

vi-etym-hoi

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) that year


bữa hổm

[ʔɓɨə˦ˀ˥ hom˧˩]

[ʔɓɨə˧˨ hom˧˨]

[ʔɓɨə˨˩˦ hom˨˩˦]

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) that day (in the past); the other day; the day before


ve chai

[vɛ˧˧ t͡ɕaːj˧˧]

[vɛ˧˧ t͡ɕaːj˧˧]

[vɛ˧˧ caːj˧˧]

[jɛ˧˧ caːj˧˧]

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) bottles; waste (in general); scrap; junk


hổm

Contraction of hôm (“day”) + the demonstrative ấy (“that”) in the southern dialects, with the latter manifested as the hỏi tone after monosyllabification.


ngoải

Contraction of ngoài (“outside”) + the demonstrative ấy (“that”) in the southern dialects, with the latter manifested as the hỏi tone after monosyllabification.

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) that place outside; out there; outside


ngoải

Contraction of ngoại (“maternal grandparent”) + the demonstrative ấy (“that”) in the southern dialects, with the latter manifested as the hỏi tone after monosyllabification.

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) she or he (referring to one's ông ngoại or bà ngoại)


quạu

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to be angry; to get mad


quạu

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) irritable; cranky


lôông

lôông cơn

North Central Vietnam form of trồng (“to plant”)


khứa

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 鋸 (“saw; to saw off”, SV: cứ). Related to cứa, cưa.

der

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

vi-etym-sino

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to cut little by little; to saw off


khứa

(Southern Vietnam) cut; slice; piece from cutting


khứa

(archaic, Southern Vietnam) moderate; fair; average

(archaic, Southern Vietnam) a lot of; much; considerable


khứa

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, derogatory) he; that bloke


buồn nôn

[ʔɓuən˨˩ non˧˧]

[ʔɓuəŋ˦˩ noŋ˧˧]

[ʔɓuəŋ˨˩ noŋ˧˧]


mắc cỡ

[mak̚˧˦ kəː˦ˀ˥]

[mak̚˦˧˥ kəː˧˨]

[mak̚˦˥ kəː˨˩˦]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) shy; bashful


mắc cỡ

[mak̚˧˦ kəː˦ˀ˥]

[mak̚˦˧˥ kəː˧˨]

[mak̚˦˥ kəː˨˩˦]

Mimosa pudica
Mimosa pudica#Translingual

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) touch-me-not; shy plant (Mimosa pudica)


tào phớ

[taːw˨˩ fəː˧˦]

[taːw˦˩ fəː˨˩˦]

[taːw˨˩ fəː˦˥]

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 豆腐 (“tofu”, SV: đậu hủ). Doublet of đậu hủ, đậu phụ, and tàu hủ.

der

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


lặt

Attested as mlặt, lặt, nhạt, mnhạt in the Dictionarium Annamiticum Lusitanum et Latinum (1651).
From Proto-Vietic *m-ləc. Cognate with Arem alɪc.

lặt lá mai đón Tết

to pluck the leaves of the mai tree to prepare for the blossom during New Year

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to pluck off

bò lặt


lãng xẹt

[laːŋ˦ˀ˥ sɛt̚˧˨ʔ]

[laːŋ˧˨ sɛt̚˨˩ʔ]

[laːŋ˨˩˦ sɛk̚˨˩˨]

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) Synonym of lãng nhách


lãng nhách

[laːŋ˦ˀ˥ ɲajk̟̚˧˦]

[laːŋ˧˨ ɲat̚˦˧˥]

[laːŋ˨˩˦ ɲat̚˦˥]

chuyện lãng nhách/xẹt

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) frivolous or ridiculous


muống

From Proto-Vietic *ɓɔːŋʔ (“water spinach (Ipomoea)”); cognate with Muong bỏng. Compare also Thai บุ้ง (bûng).

inh

(Northern Vietnam) funnel (from the resemblance in shape to the plant's flower)


quá giang

[kwaː˧˦ zaːŋ˧˧]

[kwaː˨˩˦ jaːŋ˧˧]

[waː˦˥ jaːŋ˧˧]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 過江 (“to cross a river”). See also quá độ.

vi-etym-sino

(Southern Vietnam) to cross a body of water by boat

(by extension, Southern Vietnam) to hitchhike


đụng chạm

[ʔɗʊwŋ͡m˧˨ʔ t͡ɕaːm˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɗʊwŋ͡m˨˩ʔ t͡ɕaːm˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɗʊwŋ͡m˨˩˨ caːm˨˩˨]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) Alternative form of động chạm (“to touch upon; to harm”)


làm biếng

[laːm˨˩ ʔɓiəŋ˧˦]

[laːm˦˩ ʔɓiəŋ˦˧˥]

[laːm˨˩ ʔɓiəŋ˦˥]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to be lazy


xía

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, colloquial) to interfere


cá hẻn

[kaː˧˦ hɛn˧˩]

[kaː˨˩˦ hɛŋ˧˨]

[kaː˦˥ hɛŋ˨˩˦]

airbreathing catfish
airbreathing catfish

(North Central Vietnam) airbreathing catfish


mụt ruồi

[mʊk̚˨˩ʔ ʐuj˦˩]

[mʊk͡p̚˨˩˨ ɹuj˨˩]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) mole; melanocytic nevus


bâu

(Northern Vietnam) to assemble, to gather into one place


rau câu

[ʐaw˧˧ kəw˧˧]

From rau (“leaf vegetable”) + câu (“*the name of the plant”). The term was originally used to refer to plants of the genus Gracilaria, and later to jelly. It is possible that these plants are a source of agar - a gelatin substitute in jelly.


tợ

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 似 (“to resemble”, SV: tự). Compare tựa.

der

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

vi-etym-sino

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to be like; to be similar to


xoáy

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) hair whorl


bá láp

[ʔɓaː˧˦ laːp̚˧˦]

[ʔɓaː˨˩˦ laːp̚˦˧˥]

[ʔɓaː˦˥ laːp̚˦˥]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, colloquial) of the bollocks, bullshit


bá láp

[ʔɓaː˧˦ laːp̚˧˦]

[ʔɓaː˨˩˦ laːp̚˦˧˥]

[ʔɓaː˦˥ laːp̚˦˥]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, colloquial) to humbug, to tell lies


giú

Related to giấu. Cognate with Muong chủ (“to hide”) and Chut [Rục] cuː³ (“to cover seeds”).

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to hide; to cover; to conceal

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to cover fruits to make them ripe artificially


huề

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 和 (SV: hoà).

der

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

vi-etym-sino

huề cả làng

Central Vietnam and Southern Vietnam form of hoà (“resulting in a draw”)


huề

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to draw, to tie


bổi

(Central Vietnam) dried leaves, tree branches, straws intended to be burned


giăng

Ông giẳng ông giăng,
Xuống chơi với tôi.
Có bầu có bạn,
Có ván cơm xôi.|Hey Mister Moon,Come play with me.
We can be friends,
And I have steamed sticky rice, too!

Ðiền rất yêu giăng. Cái ấy cũng là thường, bởi óc Ðiền đẫm văn thơ. Có đọc văn thơ, mới biết giăng là một cái đẹp và quý lắm. Giăng là cái liềm vàng giữa đống sao. Giăng là cái đĩa bạc trên tấm thảm nhung da trời. Giăng tỏa mộng xuống trần gian. Giăng tuôn suối mát để những hồn khát khao ngụp lặn. Trăng, ơi trăng!

1942, Nam Cao, Giăng Sáng [The Bright Moon]

Điền loves the moon. It's nothing particular, as Điền's mind is full of poems. Having read them, he knows that the moon is beautiful and precious. The moon is a shining golden sickle among the stars. The moon is the silver plate placed on a blue tablecloth made of velvet. The moon spreads dreams down into our world. The moon pours those streams of fresh water so these desperate souls could swim in. The moon, oh the moon!

Northern Vietnam form of trăng (“the moon”)


mánh

See miếng. Compare cảnh vs. kiểng.
This form is from the undiphthongized variant of root: *-mɛːŋʔ > *mɛːɲᴮ¹ (*-ŋ palatalized after monophthongal front vowels) > mánh, while miếng derived from the diphthongization of *ɛː: *-mɛːŋʔ > miəŋᴮ¹. Compare also Sino-Vietnamese morpheme danh, from *mjɛːŋᴬ > *jɛːŋᴬ¹ > jɛːɲᴬ¹.

IPAfont

*-mɛːŋʔ > miəŋᴮ¹

*-mɛːŋʔ > miəŋᴮ¹

*mjɛːŋᴬ > *jɛːŋᴬ¹ > jɛːɲᴬ¹

*mjɛːŋᴬ > *jɛːŋᴬ¹ > jɛːɲᴬ¹

(dialectal, Central Vietnam, only in compounds elsewhere) piece


hộp quẹt

[hop̚˧˨ʔ kwɛt̚˧˨ʔ]

[hop̚˨˩ʔ kwɛt̚˨˩ʔ]

[hop̚˨˩˨ wɛt̚˨˩˨]

hộp (“box, can, tin”) + quẹt (“to rub”).

hột quẹt

probably due to regressive assimilation /-p k- > -k k-/


bánh tây

chiếc (classifier)
cái (classifier)
餅西 (CJK)

[ʔɓajŋ̟˧˦ təj˧˧]

[ʔɓɛɲ˦˧˥ təj˧˧]

[ʔɓan˦˥ təj˧˧]

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Penn Zero MSSJ-bánh tây.wav

Audio (Hà Nội)

bánh (“pastry, cake, bread, dumpling, noodle, wafer, or pudding”) + tây (“Western”)

compound

Sự ăn uống cũng được sung-túc: ngày nay thì ăn cơm, lại có bánh tây và những thứ bánh ngọt làm bằng bột mỳ, toàn là những thực-phẩm rất bổ; lại nào là cá mắm khô, nước mắm Nam-kỳ và Cao-miên.

1924, Henri Cucherousset, “Cuộc trị-an của Đại-Pháp bảo-hộ [Law and order protected by the French]”, in Trần Văn Quang, transl., Xứ Bắc kỳ ngày nay [The North today], Hanoi: L'Eveil économique de l'Indochine

Food and drink was also well-to-do: today there is rice to eat, and bread and sweets made of wheat flour, all very nutritious foods; there is dried salted fish, with southern and Cambodian nước mắm.

(dated, Northern Vietnam) bread, particularly French bread such as baguettes

Rồi hàng xôi, hàng bánh cuốn nóng, hàng bánh tây chả, vân vân, cũng tụ họp nhau để lập thành cho đầy đủ một dãy quà ngon, nhiều hương vị.

1943, Thạch Lam, “Bà cụ bán xôi [The old lady selling xôi]”, in Hà Nội băm sáu phố phường [The 36 neighborhoods of Hanoi], Hanoi: Đời Nay Publishing House

And xôi stands, hot bánh cuốn stands, chả sandwich stands, etc. also came together to form a full complement of tasty delights.

Bồi bưng ra một mâm có ba dĩa bánh tây, có nước cam có nước đá đủ hết.

1957, Hồ Biểu Chánh, “Trước lạ sau quen [Strange at first but familiar later]”, in Chị Đào, Chị Lý

The waiter carried out a tray with three plates of sandwiches, complete with orange juice and ice water.

(dated, Northern Vietnam, by extension) sandwich


bày đặt

[ʔɓaj˨˩ ʔɗat̚˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɓaj˦˩ ʔɗak̚˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɓa(ː)j˨˩ ʔɗak̚˨˩˨]

(chiefly Southern Vietnam, colloquial) to make things unnecessarily complicated


phỏng

(Northern Vietnam) interrogative particle: isn't it; aren't you ...


phỏng

Central Vietnam and Southern Vietnam form of bỏng


lảng

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) hard of hearing due to old age


bẹo

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial, usually of cheek) to pinch


ăn nhậu

[ʔan˧˧ ɲəw˧˨ʔ]

[ʔaŋ˧˧ ɲəw˨˩ʔ]

[ʔaŋ˧˧ ɲəw˨˩˨]

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) to have drinks and hors d'oeuvres; to booze


moả

Contraction of moa + the demonstrative ấy (“that”) in the southern dialects, with the latter manifested as the hỏi tone after monosyllabification.
Also borrowed from French moi (“me”).

vi-etym-hoi

(dated, Southern Vietnam, humorous) I, me


ngưng

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 停 (“to stop”, SV: đình).

der

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

vi-etym-sino

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) Synonym of ngừng (“to stop; to halt”)


mạo

Sino-Vietnamese word from 帽. Doublet of mũ and mão.

(North Central Vietnam) hat; cap; helmet


phích

(Northern Vietnam, Central Vietnam) a thermos


bình thuỷ

[ʔɓïŋ˨˩ tʰwi˧˩]

[ʔɓɨn˦˩ tʰwɪj˧˨]

[ʔɓɨn˨˩ tʰ⁽ʷ⁾ɪj˨˩˦]

Calque of Chinese 水瓶 (thuỷ bình, “water bottle”). The morpheme thuỷ (水) was likely not translated to native nước in order to avoid confusion with usual water bottles.


bít tất

[ʔɓit̚˧˦ tət̚˧˦]

[ʔɓit̚˦˧˥ tək̚˦˧˥]

[ʔɓɨt̚˦˥ tək̚˦˥]

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 蔽膝 (“ancient knee covering”, SV: tế tất). The obsolete form bí tất is also attested.
The "intrusive" ‹-t› in the first syllable occurred in anticipation of the ‹t-› in tất.

der

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

vi-etym-sino

đôi bít tất

(Northern Vietnam) sock (covering for the foot)


đèn cầy

[ʔɗɛn˨˩ kəj˨˩]

[ʔɗɛŋ˦˩ kəj˦˩]

[ʔɗɛŋ˨˩ kəj˨˩]

đèn (“lamp”) + cầy (“Irvingia malayana”).
In Đại Nam quấc âm tự vị (1895), it is noted that the sap of I. malayana was used to make đèn cầy.


xấu hoắc

[səw˨˩˦ hwak̚˦˧˥]

Một người đàn ông chăm sóc cho em rất là kĩ, yêu em rất là nhiều, chiều em rất là tốt, nhưng đôi mắt "xấu hoắc", thì sao?

2016, 3:15 from the start, in Bạn Muốn Hẹn Hò, episode 209

A man who takes good care of you, loves you very much, pampers you... yet he has a very ugly pair of eyes. What do you think?

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, colloquial) very ugly


dằm

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) place (for sitting, lying down, placing something, etc.); seat


cưỡng

(Southern Vietnam) a black-collared starling (Gracupica nigricollis)


giả bộ

[zaː˧˩ ʔɓo˧˨ʔ]

[jaː˧˨ ʔɓow˨˩ʔ]

[jaː˨˩˦ ʔɓow˨˩˨]

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) to pretend (to be something), to simulate


trách

[t͡ɕajk̟̚˧˦]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) earthenware pot; small cooking pot


gần gụi

[ɣən˨˩ ɣuj˧˨ʔ]

[ɣəŋ˦˩ ɣuj˨˩ʔ]

[ɣəŋ˨˩ ɣuj˨˩˨]

A variant of gần gũi, probably originated from a North Central dialect where ngã (C2) and nặng (B2) tones merged.

Central Vietnam and Southern Vietnam form of gần gũi


xí muội

[sɪj˨˩˦ muj˨˩ʔ]

Corruption of Cantonese 酸梅 (syun1 mui4).

(Southern Vietnam) salted Chinese plum; smoked plum


ô mai

[ʔo˧˧ maːj˧˧]

(Northern Vietnam) salted Chinese plum; smoked plum


nhãng

head

𢥉, 講, 釀, 𫻠, 󰕖

vi-verb

𢥉, 講, 釀, 𫻠, 󰕖

(Northern Vietnam) to forget; to neglect; to be absentminded


lãng

Sino-Vietnamese word from 浪 (“wave”). Compare nhãng.

(Southern Vietnam) ridiculous; nonsensical

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) Alternative form of lảng (“hard of hearing due to old age”)


phản ảnh

[faːn˧˩ ʔajŋ̟˧˩]

[faːŋ˧˨ ʔɛɲ˧˨]

[faːŋ˨˩˦ ʔan˨˩˦]

An eggcorn of phản ánh, due to ảnh (“image”).

(chiefly Southern Vietnam) Eggcorn of phản ánh.


thấu

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, in the negative) able (to)


ghiền

Perhaps a non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 健 (SV: kiện).

der

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

vi-etym-sino

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to be addicted to


bánh da heo

[ʔɓajŋ̟˧˦ zaː˧˧ hɛw˧˧]

[ʔɓɛɲ˦˧˥ jaː˧˧ hɛw˧˧]

[ʔɓan˦˥ jaː˧˧ hɛw˧˧]

bánh (“cake”) + da (“skin”) + heo (“pig”)

compound

(Southern Vietnam) A Vietnamese steamed layer cake made from tapioca starch, rice flour, mashed mung beans, taro, or durian, coconut milk and/or water, and sugar.


bánh da lợn

[ʔɓajŋ̟˧˦ zaː˧˧ ləːn˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɓɛɲ˦˧˥ jaː˧˧ ləːŋ˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɓan˦˥ jaː˧˧ ləːŋ˨˩˨]

bánh (“cake”) + da (“skin”) + lợn (“pig”)

(Northern Vietnam) A Vietnamese steamed layer cake made from tapioca starch, rice flour, mashed mung beans, taro, or durian, coconut milk and/or water, and sugar.


xa pô chê

cây (classifier)
quả (classifier)
trái (classifier)

[saː˧˧ po˧˧ t͡ɕe˧˧]

Manilkara zapota
Manilkara zapota#Translingual

(Southern Vietnam) sapodilla (Manilkara zapota)


thốn

From Old Chinese 刌 (OC *[tsʰ]ˤu[n]ʔ) (B-S) (SV: thiển).

IPAfont

*􂀿tsʰ􂁀ˤu􂀿n􂁀ʔ

och-l

*􂀿tsʰ􂁀ˤu􂀿n􂁀ʔ

(Central Vietnam) to cut short; to make short or narrow


ngựa trời

[ŋɨə˧˨ʔ t͡ɕəːj˨˩]

[ŋɨə˨˩ʔ ʈəːj˦˩]

[ŋɨə˨˩˨ ʈəːj˨˩]


xỉn

(colloquial, Southern Vietnam) drunk; blitzed


nạm

phở nạm


nạm

(Central Vietnam) Alternative form of nắm (“handful”)


tánh

Southern Vietnam form of tính (“nature; character; disposition; temperament”)


lĩnh

(Northern Vietnam) to receive (award, pay, order, etc.); to accept


bực

Central Vietnam and Southern Vietnam form of bậc (“step; rung; rank; level”)


hổi

Contraction of hồi + the demonstrative ấy (“that”) in the southern dialects, with the latter manifested as the hỏi tone after monosyllabification.


nem cuốn

[nɛm˧˧ kuəŋ˦˧˥]

[nɛm˧˧ kuəŋ˦˥]

(Northern Vietnam) Vietnamese spring roll


thí bà nội

[tʰi˧˦ ʔɓaː˨˩ noj˧˨ʔ]

[tʰɪj˨˩˦ ʔɓaː˦˩ noj˨˩ʔ]

[tʰɪj˦˥ ʔɓaː˨˩ noj˨˩˨]

(mildly vulgar, chiefly Southern Vietnam) Synonym of thí mẹ (“very much”)


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


thấy mồ

[tʰəj˧˦ mo˨˩]

[tʰəj˨˩˦ mow˦˩]

chán thấy mồ


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


dợ

(North Central Vietnam, of rain or wind) to stop; to cease


hai lúa

[haːj˧˧ luə˨˩˦]

(Southern Vietnam, derogatory) peasant; countryman


hai lúa

[haːj˧˧ luə˨˩˦]

(Southern Vietnam, derogatory) rustic; naïve


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!


chanh dây

[t͡ɕajŋ̟˧˧ zəj˧˧]

[t͡ɕɛɲ˧˧ jəj˧˧]


chanh leo

[t͡ɕajŋ̟˧˧ lɛw˧˧]

[t͡ɕɛɲ˧˧ lɛw˧˧]


giễu

head

咬, 眇, 𠴕, 𠰉, 󱝑, 嘋, 憢, 𡅍

vi-verb

咬, 眇, 𠴕, 𠰉, 󱝑, 嘋, 憢, 𡅍

咬 (CJK)
眇 (CJK)
𠴕 (CJK)
𠰉 (CJK)
嘋 (CJK)
憢 (CJK)
𡅍 (CJK)

(Northern Vietnam) to make fun of; to mock; to joke; to banter


trả giá

[t͡ɕaː˧˩ zaː˧˦]

[ʈaː˧˨ jaː˨˩˦]

[ʈaː˨˩˦ jaː˦˥]


hết trơn hết trọi

[het̚˧˦ t͡ɕəːn˧˧ het̚˧˦ t͡ɕɔj˧˨ʔ]

[het̚˦˧˥ ʈəːŋ˧˧ het̚˦˧˥ ʈɔj˨˩ʔ]

[həːt̚˦˥ ʈəːŋ˧˧ həːt̚˦˥ ʈɔj˨˩˨]

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial, emphatic) all; completely; totally


trọi

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) Alternative form of trụi


lẫy

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to sulk; to get angry


bọ gậy

[ʔɓɔ˧˨ʔ ɣəj˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɓɔ˨˩ʔ ɣəj˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɓɔ˨˩˨ ɣəj˨˩˨]


um sùm

[ʔum˧˧ ʂum˦˩]

[ʔʊm˧˧ ʂʊm˨˩]

[ʔʊm˧˧ sʊm˨˩]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, colloquial) very loud; noisy


anh cả

[ʔajŋ̟˧˧ kaː˧˩]

[ʔɛɲ˧˧ kaː˧˨]

[ʔan˧˧ kaː˨˩˦]

anh (“elder brother”) + cả (“senior, main, firstborn”).

com

(Northern Vietnam, North Central Vietnam) the eldest brother


nghĩ sao

[ŋi˦ˀ˥ saːw˧˧]

[ŋɪj˧˨ ʂaːw˧˧]

[ŋɪj˧˨ saːw˧˧]

[ŋɪj˨˩˦ ʂaːw˧˧]

[ŋɪj˨˩˦ saːw˧˧]

what were you thinking?
what was someone thinking#English

(Southern Vietnam, informal) how the hell; how in the world; what were you thinking?


con gái rượu

[kɔn˧˧ ɣaːj˧˦ ziəw˧˨ʔ]

[kɔŋ˧˧ ɣaːj˨˩˦ ʐɨəw˨˩ʔ]

[kɔŋ˧˧ ɣaːj˦˥ ɹɨəw˨˩˨]

From con gái (“daughter”) + rượu (“alcohol”), a simile allude to alcoholism especially common among Vietnamese men of older generation.
It is also possible that this is also a phono-semantic matching between rượu and diệu (“marvellous, wonderful”), the Sino-Vietnamese reading of 妙 (miào), as the two words are homophonous in many Northern dialects.

Lại đây nào, con gái rượu của bố!

(chiefly Northern Vietnam, of a father, humorous or endearing) a beloved daughter


khỏ

(Central Vietnam) Alternative form of gõ (“to knock, to rap”)


đía

(Southern Vietnam, especially Mekong Delta) to lie; to talk nonsense; to brag


sở thú

head

sở thú • (所獸)

vi-noun

sở thú • (所獸)

[səː˧˩ tʰu˧˦]

[ʂəː˧˨ tʰʊw˨˩˦]

[səː˧˨ tʰʊw˨˩˦]

[ʂəː˨˩˦ tʰʊw˦˥]

[səː˨˩˦ tʰʊw˦˥]

sở (“department, place”) + thú (“animal”), literally "department/place of animals".
Apparently originally the colloquial nickname for the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, then became the term of "zoo" in general.


đờn

(Southern Vietnam) Alternative form of đàn (“certain musical instruments”)


niền

The n-nominalisation reflex of viền (“to hem; to edge”). Also compare vành.

niền xe đạp

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) rim of a wheel

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) hoop; band (put around a barrel etc.)


niền

niền răng

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to bind (as with a hoop or band on the outside); to tie

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to put in the stocks


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


dưng

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) Alternative form of dâng


bất tử

Clipping of bất đắc kì tử (“to not get one's (usual) death; to die suddenly”), an idiom originating from the Analects. Compare Chinese 不得好死 (bất đắc hảo tử).

clipping

bất đắc kì tử

[ʔɓət̚˧˦ tɨ˧˩]

[ʔɓək̚˦˧˥ tɨ˧˨]

[ʔɓək̚˦˥ tɨ˨˩˦]

chết bất tử

(Southern Vietnam) (dying) all of a sudden; unexpectedly

(Southern Vietnam, by extension) suddenly; all of a sudden


bất tử

bất đắc kì tử

[ʔɓət̚˧˦ tɨ˧˩]

[ʔɓək̚˦˧˥ tɨ˧˨]

[ʔɓək̚˦˥ tɨ˨˩˦]

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) reckless; rash; unruly


quá trời

[kwaː˧˦ t͡ɕəːj˨˩]

[kwaː˨˩˦ ʈəːj˦˩]

[waː˦˥ ʈəːj˨˩]

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) extremely; mighty


quá xá

[kwaː˨˩˦ saː˨˩˦]

[waː˦˥ saː˦˥]

Về thưa ba thưa má mà vui quá xá nếu anh cưới nàng nà

2024 January 31, “Căn nhà tranh mái lá [Thatched house]”, performed by Tibicon ft. Deagle and Dub P

Going back to inform your parents, it will be great if I can marry you, oh.
Dear stork, fly fly away！


nhây

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) (talking, doing something) in a long, drawn-out manner; lengthy


càm ràm

head

càm ràm (‑a reduplication càm rà càm ràm)

[kaːm˦˩ ʐaːm˦˩]

[kaːm˨˩ ɹaːm˨˩]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, colloquial) to whinge; to whine; to complain


đắt đỏ

[ʔɗat̚˧˦ ʔɗɔ˧˩]

[ʔɗak̚˦˧˥ ʔɗɔ˧˨]

[ʔɗak̚˦˥ ʔɗɔ˨˩˦]


mắc mỏ

[mak̚˧˦ mɔ˧˩]

[mak̚˦˧˥ mɔ˧˨]

[mak̚˦˥ mɔ˨˩˦]


nạt

㖏, 捏, 揑, 涅, 𠽇, 󰂭, 󰆯

vi-verb

㖏, 捏, 揑, 涅, 𠽇, 󰂭, 󰆯

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to browbeat; to thunder


mừng húm

[mɨŋ˨˩ hum˧˦]

[mɨŋ˦˩ hum˦˧˥]

[mɨŋ˨˩ hʊm˦˥]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, colloquial) to be overjoyed; to be bursting with joy


ớn

head

𠹵, 按, 𠻈, 𢞴, 𫣃

ớn • (𠹵, 按, 𠻈, 𢞴, 𫣃)

vi-verb

𠹵, 按, 𠻈, 𢞴, 𫣃

ớn • (𠹵, 按, 𠻈, 𢞴, 𫣃)

(Southern Vietnam) to be scared of; to fear


nghen

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) Synonym of nhé


cộ

head

cộ • (椇, 𤚦, 𨍄)

vi-noun

cộ • (椇, 𤚦, 𨍄)

2013, Từ Kế Tường, " Ngồi cộ trâu (Riding the buffalo-sled)" Tuổi Trẻ (Youth)

My childhood in a village's corner was closely linked to the buffalo-sled.

Tuổi thơ tôi ở một góc làng quê gần như gắn liền với chiếc cộ trâu.

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) a kind of buffalo- or cattle-driven wheelless vehicle, a sled

Ngày nào cộ bò của Ngân cũng lăn bánh trên khắp nẻo đường, hẻm hóc

2017, La Hai, “Chuyện về người làm nghề lái cộ bò trở thành người 'nổi tiếng' (The story about an ox-cart driver who became 'famous')”, in Nông Nghiệp Việt Nam (Vietnamese Agriculture)

Every day Ngân's ox-cart rolled its wheels on all roadways and alleyways.

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) (non-standard) a kind of buffalo- or cattle-driven two-wheeled vehicle, a cart


cộ

2019, Mai Anh & Ngọc Quyên, "Lạ đời: Ở đây 'chê' máy móc, dân vẫn thích cộ lúa bằng trâu (Strange: machines are 'belittled' here, folks still like to haul rice with buffaloes)" Dân Việt (Vietnamese Folks)

And just like that, after every harvest the images of the buffaloes hauling rice or hauling straws again appear on many fields of the Western region.

Và cứ thế, sau mùa gặt hình ảnh những chú trâu cộ lúa hay cộ rơm lại xuất hiện tại nhiều cánh đồng ở miền Tây.

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to haul (a vehicle); to drag; to transport


nầy

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) this


cá điêu hồng

[kaː˧˦ ʔɗiəw˧˧ həwŋ͡m˨˩]

[kaː˨˩˦ ʔɗiw˧˧ həwŋ͡m˦˩]

[kaː˦˥ ʔɗiw˧˧ həwŋ͡m˨˩]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) red tilapia


cá diêu hồng

[kaː˧˦ ziəw˧˧ həwŋ͡m˨˩]

[kaː˨˩˦ jiw˧˧ həwŋ͡m˦˩]

[kaː˦˥ jiw˧˧ həwŋ͡m˨˩]


phước

Sino-Vietnamese word from 福. Doublet of phúc.

(Southern Vietnam) good fortune; good luck; happiness; bliss; felicity


áo phông

[ʔaːw˧˦ fəwŋ͡m˧˧]

[ʔaːw˨˩˦ fəwŋ͡m˧˧]

[ʔaːw˦˥ fəwŋ͡m˧˧]


áo thun

[ʔaːw˧˦ tʰun˧˧]

[ʔaːw˨˩˦ tʰun˧˧]

[ʔaːw˦˥ tʰʊwŋ͡m˧˧]


hết trơn

[het̚˧˦ t͡ɕəːn˧˧]

[het̚˦˧˥ ʈəːŋ˧˧]

[həːt̚˦˥ ʈəːŋ˧˧]


sui gia

[ʂuj˧˧ jaː˧˧]

[ʂuj˧˧ jaː˧˧]

sui is from Proto-Vietic *p-ruːj (“marriage”); gia is a Sino-Vietnamese word from 家.

(Southern Vietnam) union between families by marriage; parents of husband and wife; co-parents-in-law


ngột

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to feel suffocated


lãnh vực

[lajŋ̟˦ˀ˥ vɨk̚˧˨ʔ]

[lɛɲ˧˨ vɨk̚˨˩ʔ]

[lan˨˩˦ vɨk̚˨˩˨]

[lan˨˩˦ jɨk̚˨˩˨]


lưu hoàng

[lɨw˧˧ hwaːŋ˦˩]

[lɨw˧˧ waːŋ˨˩]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 硫黃, composed of 硫 (“sulphur”) and 黃 (“yellow”).

vi-etym-sino

(dated or obsolete) Northern Vietnam form of lưu huỳnh (“sulfur”)


cá tra

[kaː˧˦ t͡ɕaː˧˧]

[kaː˨˩˦ ʈaː˧˧]

[kaː˦˥ ʈaː˧˧]

cá + tra, from Khmer ប្រា (praa, “certain Pangasius species”).

bor

(Southern Vietnam, zoology) iridescent shark, Pangasianodon hypophthalmus


chọc lét

[t͡ɕawk͡p̚˧˨ʔ lɛt̚˧˦]

[t͡ɕawk͡p̚˨˩ʔ lɛt̚˦˧˥]

[cawk͡p̚˨˩˨ lɛk̚˦˥]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to tickle


kẹt xe

[kɛt̚˧˨ʔ sɛ˧˧]

[kɛt̚˨˩ʔ sɛ˧˧]

[kɛk̚˨˩˨ sɛ˧˧]


dọc mùng

[zawk͡p̚˧˨ʔ mʊwŋ͡m˨˩]

[jawk͡p̚˨˩ʔ mʊwŋ͡m˦˩]

[jawk͡p̚˨˩˨ mʊwŋ͡m˨˩]


ráy

head

ráy • (𤀕, ⿰土再)

vi-noun

ráy • (𤀕, ⿰土再)

– Ừa, nghe khoái con ráy rồi, mai mốt dẫn tụi tao đi coi chân cẳng họ nghe, mầy!
– Ye, hearing it was a pleasure to our ear[hole]s, someday you need to take us go and watch those legs [of the soccer players] in action!

1970, Duyên Anh, Mặt trời nhỏ: Truyện dài [The little sun: a long novel], Saigon: Tuổi Ngọc, page 118

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) (con~) eardrum, earhole


dây nịt

[zəj˧˧ nit̚˧˨ʔ]

[jəj˧˧ nit̚˨˩ʔ]

[jəj˧˧ nɨt̚˨˩˨]

(Southern Vietnam) belt (worn around the waist)


nhôông

See chồng.
This particular dialectal form is from the proto-form with *ʄ-, while the dominant form chồng is from *ɟ- (regular lower register tone due to voiced onset). Although implosives already gave upper register tone, thanks to comparative evidences (Thavung pʰajoːŋ¹), the presyllable *p- can further be recovered. The form with *ʄ- is probably the more original form: *p-ʄ- > *ʄ- > *ɟ-, with the non-North Central dialects derived chồng from stage 3 while the North Central form is compatible with stage 2.
Compare also the case of nhông (“agama”) (< *-ʄ-), chôông (“agama”) (< medial *-ɟ-, North Central form, unaffected by lenition) and giông (“salamander”) (< medial *-ɟ-, Northern-Southern form, affected by lenition).

North Central Vietnam form of chồng (“husband”)

dông

in North Central dialects with further ‹nh-› > ‹d-› shift


cá ông

head

cá ông • (𩵜翁)

[kaː˧˦ ʔəwŋ͡m˧˧]

[kaː˨˩˦ ʔəwŋ͡m˧˧]

[kaː˦˥ ʔəwŋ͡m˧˧]


dzô dziên

(Internet slang) Southern Vietnam form of vô duyên


vịt xiêm

[vɨt̚˨˩˨ sim˧˧]

[jɨt̚˨˩˨ sim˧˧]


biết chết liền

[ʔɓiət̚˧˦ t͡ɕet̚˧˦ liən˨˩]

[ʔɓiək̚˦˧˥ t͡ɕet̚˦˧˥ liəŋ˦˩]

[ʔɓiək̚˦˥ cəːt̚˦˥ liəŋ˨˩]

(slang, Southern Vietnam) no flippin' idea; how the hell should I know?


nhăm nhe

[ɲam˧˧ ɲɛ˧˧]

[ɲam˧˧ ɲɛ˧˧]

[ɲam˧˧ ɲɛ˧˧]

(Northern Vietnam) to lie in wait, to await an opportunity


chạng

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to spread out; split; extend (diagonally)


thẳng thớm

[tʰaŋ˧˩ tʰəːm˧˦]

[tʰaŋ˧˨ tʰəːm˦˧˥]

[tʰaŋ˨˩˦ tʰəːm˦˥]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) straight


bá cháy

[ʔɓaː˧˦ t͡ɕaj˧˦]

[ʔɓaː˨˩˦ t͡ɕaj˨˩˦]

[ʔɓaː˦˥ ca(ː)j˦˥]

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) awesome; cool; badass


rọt

North Central Vietnam form of ruột (“intestines”)


cụng

Occurs in dialects with ngã-nặng merger.

North Central Vietnam form of cũng (“also”)


túi bóng

[tuj˧˦ ʔɓawŋ͡m˧˦]

[tuj˨˩˦ ʔɓawŋ͡m˦˧˥]

[tuj˨˩˦ ʔɓɔŋ˦˧˥]

[tuj˦˥ ʔɓawŋ͡m˦˥]


điệp

Sino-Vietnamese word from 蝶 (“butterfly”).
The sense of "scallop" is due to the visual similarity between scallop's valves and butterfly's wings when spread.

vi-etym-sino

(Southern Vietnam) Caesalpinia pulcherrima


cam go

[kaːm˧˧ ɣɔ˧˧]

[kaːm˧˧ ɣɔ˧˧]

[kaːm˧˧ ɣɔ˧˧]

com

compare <i class="Latn mention" lang="vi">gay go</i>

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) full of difficulties and challenges; difficult; daunting


cam go

[kaːm˧˧ ɣɔ˧˧]

[kaːm˧˧ ɣɔ˧˧]

[kaːm˧˧ ɣɔ˧˧]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) difficulty; challenge


quần què

[kwəŋ˦˩ kwɛ˦˩]

[wəŋ˨˩ wɛ˨˩]

quần (“pants”) + què (“crippled”).
Some consider this as a Southern corruption of quần hoè, a kind of pants worn in pre-modern times by women during menstruation, making use of flowers of the Chinese scholar tree to limit bleeding.

Đang làm cái quần què gì vậy?

(figurative, chiefly Southern Vietnam, low colloquial, slang) bullshit; rubbish; your ass


côi

để côi trốc


dượt

(Southern Vietnam) to practise, to rehash, to train


hình dong

Northern Vietnam form of hình dung (“figure”)


quấc

Đại Nam quấc âm tự vị

The Chinese Character Dictionary for the Sounds of the Great Southern Land

(obsolete) Southern Vietnam form of quốc


bố nó

[ʔɓo˧˦ nɔ˧˦]

[ʔɓow˨˩˦ nɔ˨˩˦]

[ʔɓow˦˥ nɔ˦˥]

(Northern Vietnam) you, our child(ren)'s dad

(Northern Vietnam) he/him, your child(ren)'s dad


bố nó

[ʔɓo˧˦ nɔ˧˦]

[ʔɓow˨˩˦ nɔ˨˩˦]

[ʔɓow˦˥ nɔ˦˥]

Sao không làm bố nó đi !

Oh for heaven's sake, just do it already!

Thằng ôn dịch đó làm hỏng bố nó rồi !

(Northern Vietnam, sentence-final) conveys annoyance or regret


mẹ nó

[mɛ˧˨ʔ nɔ˧˦]

[mɛ˨˩ʔ nɔ˨˩˦]

[mɛ˨˩˨ nɔ˦˥]

(Northern Vietnam) you, our child(ren)'s mom

(Northern Vietnam) she/her, your child(ren)'s mom


nậy

Cháu Mộ La. Đã nhận được thư cháu, Chú cãm ơn. Biết cháu to nậy, mạnh khoẽ, tiến bộ, chú mầng. Nhưng cháu viết hơi “văn ngệ” quá, Chú ngại. Ví zụ: Răng không kêu chú là chú Minh, lại kêu bằng “Minh thúc”. Tiếng ta có, thì nên zùng tiếng ta, như rứa fỗ thông hơn, fãi không cháu? Hôn cháu Chú Minh

Dear Mộ La. I have already received your letter and I want to thank you for it. I'm glad to know that you are grown, healthy and are doing well in your studying. However, I was a bit flustered by your "artistic" writing style. For example, why did you not call me chú Minh, but "Minh thúc"? We have our language, we should use it, so that it can be more widely understood, don't you agree? Affectionately,Uncle Minh


tắc đường

[tak̚˧˦ ʔɗɨəŋ˨˩]

[tak̚˦˧˥ ʔɗɨəŋ˦˩]

[tak̚˦˥ ʔɗɨəŋ˨˩]

(Northern Vietnam, North Central Vietnam) traffic jam


lạt nhách

[laːt̚˧˨ʔ ɲajk̟̚˧˦]

[laːk̚˨˩ʔ ɲat̚˦˧˥]

[laːk̚˨˩˨ ɲat̚˦˥]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) very bland, extremely tasteless


quần xà lỏn

[kwən˨˩ saː˨˩ lɔn˧˩]

[kwəŋ˦˩ saː˦˩ lɔŋ˧˨]

[wəŋ˨˩ saː˨˩ lɔŋ˨˩˦]

quần + xà lỏn, borrowed from a neighbouring language, compare Lao ຜ້າສະໂລ່ງ (phāsa lōng) and Thai โสร่ง (sà-ròong).


chứng cớ

[t͡ɕɨŋ˧˦ kəː˧˦]

[t͡ɕɨŋ˦˧˥ kəː˨˩˦]

[cɨŋ˦˥ kəː˦˥]

Compare thư and thơ (“letter”), tiểu thư and tiểu thơ (“young mistress”).

Southern Vietnam form of chứng cứ (“evidence; proof”)


màng nhện

[maːŋ˨˩ ɲen˧˨ʔ]

[maːŋ˦˩ ɲen˨˩ʔ]

[maːŋ˨˩ ɲəːn˨˩˨]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) spiderweb


bim bim

[ʔɓim˧˧ ʔɓim˧˧]

[ʔɓim˧˧ ʔɓim˧˧]

[ʔɓim˧˧ ʔɓim˧˧]


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


tụi nó

[tuj˧˨ʔ nɔ˧˦]

[tuj˨˩ʔ nɔ˨˩˦]

[tuj˨˩˨ nɔ˦˥]

tụi (pluralising particle) + nó (“he, she, it”).


bà chằn

[ʔɓaː˨˩ t͡ɕan˨˩]

[ʔɓaː˦˩ t͡ɕaŋ˦˩]

[ʔɓaː˨˩ caŋ˨˩]

The sense "ferocious woman" was likely due to the word being treated as if it is a compound of bà (“old woman, old lady”) + chằn (“ogre”).

com

(colloquial, Southern Vietnam, can be offensive) a ferocious woman


nộm

(Northern Vietnam) A salad-like Vietnamese dish


đằng ấy

[ʔɗaŋ˨˩ ʔəj˧˦]

[ʔɗaŋ˦˩ ʔəj˨˩˦]

[ʔɗaŋ˨˩ ʔəj˦˥]

đằng (“way; direction”) + ấy (“that”). Compare Japanese 彼方 (anata, “that way; you”).

Đằng ấy cứ đùa!

(chiefly Northern Vietnam, familiar or humorous) you, my pal or gal


tấy

See rái.
In spite of a phonological discrepancy, rái and tấy are both regular reflexes of the Proto-Vietic word in terms of dialectal development, wih most Vietnamese dialects spirantized medial *-s- to ‹r› while the North Central dialects kept the *-s- (that later regularly shifted to ‹t›) unaffected by the presyllable *p-. For the ‹ay›-‹ây› (< *eː) correspondence, compare North Central gấy vs. standard written gái, trấy vs. trái, cây vs. gai.

North Central Vietnam form of rái (“otter”)


dị

(Central Vietnam) embarrassed, shy, bashful


thiệt tình

[tʰiət̚˧˨ʔ tïŋ˨˩]

[tʰiək̚˨˩ʔ tɨn˦˩]

[tʰiək̚˨˩˨ tɨn˨˩]


thiệt tình

[tʰiət̚˧˨ʔ tïŋ˨˩]

[tʰiək̚˨˩ʔ tɨn˦˩]

[tʰiək̚˨˩˨ tɨn˨˩]


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


trớt quớt

[t͡ɕəːt̚˧˦ kwəːt̚˧˦]

[ʈəːk̚˦˧˥ kwəːk̚˦˧˥]

[ʈəːk̚˦˥ wəːk̚˦˥]

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) futile, anticlimactic, turnt out to be useless


nước lạnh

[nɨək̚˧˦ lajŋ̟˧˨ʔ]

[nɨək̚˦˧˥ lɛɲ˨˩ʔ]

[nɨək̚˦˥ lan˨˩˨]

(dated, Southern Vietnam) unboiled water


đằng này

[ʔɗaŋ˨˩ naj˨˩]

[ʔɗaŋ˦˩ naj˦˩]

[ʔɗaŋ˨˩ na(ː)j˨˩]

(Northern Vietnam, familiar or humorous) I/me, your pal or gal


bảnh

der

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

vi-etym-sino

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 炳 (“bright, luminous”, SV: bỉnh)

Chu cha ! Bữa nay bảnh ghê ta !

Wow! You look like you could kick some ass today!

(Southern Vietnam, slang, humorous, usually of a boy or man) badass; kickass; "cool"


ăn bận

[ʔan˧˧ ʔɓən˧˨ʔ]

[ʔaŋ˧˧ ʔɓəŋ˨˩ʔ]

[ʔaŋ˧˧ ʔɓəŋ˨˩˨]

ăn bận chỉnh tề

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) to dress (up); to wear clothes


bít tất tay

[ʔɓit̚˧˦ tət̚˧˦ taj˧˧]

[ʔɓit̚˦˧˥ tək̚˦˧˥ taj˧˧]

[ʔɓɨt̚˦˥ tək̚˦˥ ta(ː)j˧˧]

(Northern Vietnam, uncommon) gloves; mittens


bông vụ

[ʔɓəwŋ͡m˧˧ vu˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɓəwŋ͡m˧˧ vʊw˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɓəwŋ͡m˧˧ vʊw˨˩˨]

[ʔɓəwŋ͡m˧˧ jʊw˨˩˨]

(Southern Vietnam) kind of spinning top toy


bự đùng

[ʔɓɨ˧˨ʔ ʔɗʊwŋ͡m˨˩]

[ʔɓɨ˨˩ʔ ʔɗʊwŋ͡m˦˩]

[ʔɓɨ˨˩˨ ʔɗʊwŋ͡m˨˩]

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) huge; gigantic; enormous


cà khịa

[kaː˨˩ xiə˧˨ʔ]

[kaː˦˩ kʰiə˨˩ʔ]

[kaː˦˩ xiə˨˩ʔ]

[kaː˨˩ kʰiə˨˩˨]

[kaː˨˩ xiə˨˩˨]

From cà- (“repetitive prefix”) + khịa (“to poke, to tease, to provoke”).

affix

(Southern Vietnam) to quarrel; pick fights; incite conflict


dễ sợ

[ze˦ˀ˥ səː˧˨ʔ]

[jej˧˨ ʂəː˨˩ʔ]

[jej˧˨ səː˨˩ʔ]

[jej˨˩˦ ʂəː˨˩˨]

[jej˨˩˦ səː˨˩˨]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, colloquial) very; extremely; drastically; at a very high level


cầu bơ cầu bất

[kəw˨˩ ʔɓəː˧˧ kəw˨˩ ʔɓət̚˧˦]

[kəw˦˩ ʔɓəː˧˧ kəw˦˩ ʔɓək̚˦˧˥]

[kəw˨˩ ʔɓəː˧˧ kəw˨˩ ʔɓək̚˦˥]

(Northern Vietnam, colloquial) derelict; vagrant; homeless


chạ

Nhiều làng quê có tục kết chạ. Làng nọ với làng kia kết nghĩa với nhau, giúp đỡ nhau trong hoạn nạn.

2024 February 20, Duy Huy, “Kết chạ - giữ một nếp xưa”, in Nhân Dân

Many villages have custom of forming coalition. Villages bonding with each other, helping each other when needed.

(Northern Vietnam) coalition (of villages)


chạn

(Northern Vietnam) a kitchen cupboard; kitchen pantry


cháo hoa

[t͡ɕaːw˧˦ hwaː˧˧]

[t͡ɕaːw˨˩˦ hwaː˧˧]

(Northern Vietnam) a type of plain or undercooked congee (rice porridge)


quần bò

[kwən˨˩ ʔɓɔ˨˩]

[kwəŋ˦˩ ʔɓɔ˦˩]

[wəŋ˨˩ ʔɓɔ˨˩]


củ chuối

[ku˧˩ t͡ɕuəj˧˦]

[kʊw˧˨ t͡ɕuj˨˩˦]

củ (“bulb, corm”) + chuối (“banana [tree]”)

compound

(slang, Northern Vietnam) cringeworthy; cringy


mèn đét ơi

[mɛn˨˩ ʔɗɛt̚˧˦ ʔəːj˧˧]

[mɛŋ˦˩ ʔɗɛt̚˦˧˥ ʔəːj˧˧]

[mɛŋ˨˩ ʔɗɛk̚˦˥ ʔəːj˧˧]

(Southern Vietnam) Jesus Christ; holy shit


ngày mốt

[ŋaj˦˩ mok̚˦˧˥]

ngày (“day”) + mốt (“day after tomorrow”).

com

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, formal or emphatic) overmorrow; the day after tomorrow


trốc gối

[t͡ɕəwk͡p̚˧˦ ɣoj˧˦]

[ʈəwk͡p̚˦˧˥ ɣoj˨˩˦]

[ʈəwk͡p̚˦˥ ɣoj˦˥]

trốc (“head”) + gối (“knee”). See đầu gối.
While this form is undoubtedly "written down", the actual existence and usage of it is not clear, as in most of the North Central dialects where equivalents of this are used, the vowel nucleus of the second morpheme is usually the conservative unlowered /u/ (see the forms above). Therefore, trốc gối might just be a written compromise between the actual forms used in real life with the "standard written" mainstream gối.

trốc cúi

with *-l > /j/ and less affected by lenition

trốc cún

with *-l > /n/ and less affected by lenition

trốc gúi

with *-l > /j/ and more affected by lenition

(Central Vietnam) knee (joint in the middle of the leg and area around it)


dạo này

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Penn Zero MSSJ-dạo này.wav

(chiefly Northern Vietnam) recently; nowadays


bữa diếp

[ʔɓɨə˦ˀ˥ ziəp̚˧˦]

[ʔɓɨə˧˨ jiəp̚˦˧˥]

[ʔɓɨə˨˩˦ jip̚˦˥]

day before yesterday
day before yesterday

(North Central Vietnam) the day before yesterday


cẩn

cây (classifier)
bông (classifier)
hoa (classifier)


phứt

See bứt, likely originated from a North Central dialect. For pairs of plain (or in many cases, lenited) vs. aspirated initial, compare gảy vs. khảy, quấy vs. khuấy, cứa vs. khứa, bết vs. phết, bỏng vs. phỏng.
See also phắt, a variant.

(North Central Vietnam) to take off; to pluck


chiếng

[ciəŋ˩ ~ t͡ɕiəŋ˩]

Lời bảo. — Ai năng coi sách chữ quấc ngữ thì dễ mà phân biệt chữ nọ dấu kia, song nên nhớ luật chung rằng: Khi nào hồ nghi không biết một tiếng là d, g hay nh, thì dò tiếng nhà quê có lẽ cũng biết được. Vậy nhà quê nói trại qua CH thì là G. Ví dụ: Giếng, giường, nhà quê nói chiếng, chờng. Giữ gìn nhà quê nói chự chìn; nhà quê nói trại qua Đ h. là R thì là D, ví dụ: Dày dặn nhà quê nói đày đặn.
An advice. — Those who often read books written in the National script [the Vietnamese Latin alphabet] will find it easy to distinguish words and tones, but you should still remember this rule of thumb: Whenever you are not sure whether a word started with d, g or nh, you can probably tell by looking at the speech of the rural folks. If the rural folks say CH then it's G. For example, for giếng, giường, they say chiếng, chờng. For giữ gìn, they say chự chìn; if the rural folks turn it into Đ or R then it's D, for example: for dày dặn they say đày đặn.

1919, anonymous author, “Phần thứ I. Dạy chung ít điều về văn chương”, in Văn chương thi phú Annam (Littérature and prosodie annamite)

North Central Vietnam form of giếng (“well”)


lái tim

See trái tim. This form is probably from a coastal Northern dialect.

Ví bằng con được vào lái tim Đức Chúa Jêsu lần nào cho lọn [...]

1888, M. Pinabel [Cố Thủy], Sách gương phúc, Ninh Phú Đường

If only i could enter Jesus' heart fully once …

Đức chúa Jêsu truyền sự kính thờ Lái tim người.

1914, R. P. Serad [Cố Chính Trung], Sách dẫn đàng giữ đạo, 2nd edition, Kẻ Sở

Jesus spreads the worshipping of his Heart

4° Lớp ếch nhái ( Batraciens ) Có máu lạnh; lái tim có 3 ngăn; vật ấy hoá hình, lúc bé có go để thở dưới nước rồi thay go lấy phổi để thở trong khí giời; có da trơn trụi lông; thường có 4 chân; hầu hết đẻ trứng.
4° Amphibians ( Batraciens ) are ectothermic; they have three-chambered hearts and undergo metamorphosis, as when they are juvenile, they have gills to breathe underwater but lose their gills for lungs in order to breathe air; their skin is smooth and furless; they are often quadruped; most are oviparous.

1920, François Chaize [Cố Thịnh], “Phần II. Hạng vật có xương sống (Vertébrés)”, in Địa cầu vạn vật luận - Động vật (Histoire naturelle - zoologie)

(possibly obsolete) Northern Vietnam form of trái tim (“heart”)


cù bơ cù bất

[ku˨˩ ʔɓəː˧˧ ku˨˩ ʔɓət̚˧˦]

[kʊw˦˩ ʔɓəː˧˧ kʊw˦˩ ʔɓək̚˦˧˥]

[kʊw˨˩ ʔɓəː˧˧ kʊw˨˩ ʔɓək̚˦˥]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, colloquial) derelict; vagrant; homeless


cảy

From Proto-Vietic *kas, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *ʔas ~ *ʔəs. Cognate with Pacoh ayh, éih, Khasi at, Khmu [Cuang] ʔɛh.
See cứt (“shit”) and củi (“firewood”) for two other known cases where Vietic velar initial corresponds to zero-initial in other Austroasiatic branches.


heo đất

[hɛw˧˧ ʔɗət̚˧˦]

[hɛw˧˧ ʔɗək̚˦˧˥]

[hɛw˧˧ ʔɗək̚˦˥]


rượn

heo rượn đực

rượn như ngựa Thượng Tứ

to be lewd, lustful, lascivious (literally, “to rut like an imperial mare”)

(North Central Vietnam, of animals, offensive when used for humans) to be in oestrus, to be in heat, to rut


số dách

[ʂow˨˩˦ jat̚˦˧˥]

số + dách; the second element is from Cantonese 一 (jat¹) (SV: nhất).

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial, of quality) the best


nẩy

Northern Vietnam form of nảy (“to bounce”)


cá sộp

head

cá sộp • (𩵜𩻒)

[kaː˧˦ sop̚˧˨ʔ]

[kaː˨˩˦ ʂop̚˨˩ʔ]

[kaː˨˩˦ sop̚˨˩ʔ]

[kaː˦˥ ʂop̚˨˩˨]

[kaː˦˥ sop̚˨˩˨]


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˨˩˦]


thế nào

Tôi nghe thiên hạ nói vậy nên tò mò muốn về VN một chuyến xem đời sống thay đổi thế nào.

I heard people say that so I was curious and wanted to return to Vietnam one time to see how life had changed.

Nếu em được nhận vào làm quản lý cho bà thì lương lậu bà trả thế nào ạ?

If I am accepted to work as a manager for you what will my salary be?

(chiefly Northern Vietnam, formal in other dialects) how; what; in what manner; in what way


miễu

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 廟 (SV: miếu). Doublet of miếu.

der

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

vi-etym-sino

Rằm tháng này người ta đi cúng miễu Bà đông lắm.

This mid-month, many people went to the "village shrine of the Lady" to give offerings.

Ngoài cửa có cái hồ Hoàn-gươm rộng lớn; giữa hồ lại có cái cù-lao nho-nhỏ có cất cái miễu Ngọc-sơn, cây cối im-rợp huyền vũ coi tươi-tốt. Nhà thiên hạ, phố-xá ở bao lấy miệng hồ.

1881, Trương Vĩnh Ký, Chuyến đi Bắc-kỳ năm Ất-hợi (1876)

Just outside the temple's gate is the large Lake Hoàn-gươm; in the middle of the lake there is an islet on which built a small temple called Ngọc-sơn, where vegetation grows lush under the eyes of the Black Tortoise. Houses and streets surround the lake.


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?


ngày kia

[ŋaj˨˩ kiə˧˧]

[ŋaj˦˩ kiə˧˧]

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Penn Zero MSSJ-ngày kia.wav

ngày (“day”) + kia.
For the semantic relationship, compare Chinese 後日／后日 (hòurì) and 後天／后天 (hòutiān). Not to be confused with hôm kia (“day before yesterday”).


viết chì

[viət̚˧˦ t͡ɕi˨˩]

[viək̚˦˧˥ t͡ɕɪj˦˩]

[viək̚˦˥ cɪj˨˩]

[jiək̚˦˥ cɪj˨˩]

(Southern Vietnam) a pencil (graphite writing-instrument)


thì tiết

[tʰi˨˩ tiət̚˧˦]

[tʰɪj˦˩ tiək̚˦˧˥]

[tʰɪj˨˩ tiək̚˦˥]

𡗶 Trời. n. Vầng cao lớn, bao phủ trên không; hình khum khum bao phủ trên cao. […] ― nắng. Trời hết mưa, nắng chói lói, thì tiết nóng nực.
𡗶 Trời. n. The great arch that encloses the atmosphere; the curved shape up high. […] ― nắng. It is rainless and [with] intense sunlight; hot weather.

1895, Huình Tịnh Của, Đại Nam Quấc âm tự vị

(obsolete) Southern Vietnam form of thời tiết (“weather”)

Người ấy sẽ như cây trồng gần dòng nước, Sanh bông trái theo thì tiết, Lá nó cũng chẳng tàn héo; Mọi sự người làm đều sẽ thạnh vượng.

1926, Phan Khôi, transl., Thi Thiên, translation of Psalms

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither -- whatever they do prospers.

(obsolete, Southern Vietnam, in the translation of the Bible) season; time (of the year)


cuông

North Central Vietnam form of công (“peafowl”)


nhẽ

(Northern Vietnam) reason; rationale; argument


ô dề

(North Central Vietnam, colloquial) vulgar; crude; embarrassing


giái

See trái for the etymology, see giai for the sound change. This is the form from the inland dialects, with the form lái presented in the coastal areas (see lái tim). Displaced by quả some time before the colonial period, probably partly due to the homophony with dái (“testicles”).
Some compounds with the Southern form trái later spread from the South and were adopted by Northern speakers.

Lý hạng ca dao 里巷歌謠
𣘃󱬖固花𣘃茄固󱤼
Cây khế có hoa, cây cà có giái.
The starfruit tree has flowers, the eggplant tree has fruits.

(obsolete) Northern Vietnam form of trái (“fruit”)


trấy

See the main entry trái. This is not a reflex of Northern Middle Vietnamese blái attested in Dictionarium Annamiticum Lusitanum et Latinum (1651). The diphthongization of *eː > /əj/ is a characteristic of the North Central dialects and is not related to the *eː > /aːj/ in the mainstream dialects.

North Central Vietnam form of trái (“fruit”)


bá vơ

[ʔɓaː˧˦ vəː˧˧]

[ʔɓaː˨˩˦ vəː˧˧]

[ʔɓaː˦˥ vəː˧˧]

[ʔɓaː˦˥ jəː˧˧]

bá (百, “hundred”) + vơ (“to grab, to take”). In modern Southern Vietnamese, the unetymological spelling bá dơ is often preferred due to contamination by dơ (“dirty”).

com

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial, of personality) irresponsible; unable to form one's own opinion


om sòm

[ʔɔm˧˧ sɔm˨˩]

[ʔɔm˧˧ ʂɔm˦˩]

[ʔɔm˧˧ sɔm˦˩]

[ʔɔm˧˧ ʂɔm˨˩]

[ʔɔm˧˧ sɔm˨˩]

(chiefly Northern Vietnam, colloquial) noisy; vociferous; uproarious


thế thì

[tʰe˧˦ tʰi˨˩]

[tʰej˨˩˦ tʰɪj˦˩]

[tʰej˦˥ tʰɪj˨˩]

(chiefly Northern Vietnam) so; then; in that case


xe khách

[sɛ˧˧ xajk̟̚˧˦]

[sɛ˧˧ kʰat̚˦˧˥]

[sɛ˧˧ xat̚˦˧˥]

[sɛ˧˧ kʰat̚˦˥]

[sɛ˧˧ xat̚˦˥]

xe (“wheeled vehicle”) + khách (“guest; passenger; customer”).


thậm

Duy có cái điều đốt pháo là thậm giã-man, thậm hay sinh phiền, thậm vô-lý, thì anh em ta nên bỏ dứt hẳn đi.

1907, Nguyễn Văn Vĩnh, “Đốt pháo”, in Đại Nam Đăng Cổ Tùng Báo

However, only the firecrackers are utterly uncivilized, extremely troublesome, and so verily useless, so we should stop using them completely.

(Northern Vietnam, colloquial, dated) verily; extremely; very much so


lọ nghẹ

[lɔ˧˨ʔ ŋɛ˧˨ʔ]

[lɔ˨˩ʔ ŋɛ˨˩ʔ]

[lɔ˨˩˨ ŋɛ˨˩˨]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) soot


hoa trà

[hwaː˧˧ t͡ɕaː˨˩]

[hwaː˧˧ ʈaː˦˩]

[waː˧˧ ʈaː˨˩]

hoa (花, “flower”) + trà (茶, “tea”), calque of Chinese 茶花 (cháhuā).


hoa chè

[hwaː˧˧ t͡ɕɛ˨˩]

[hwaː˧˧ t͡ɕɛ˦˩]

[waː˧˧ cɛ˨˩]

hoa (花, “flower”) + chè (茶, “tea”), calque of Chinese 茶花 (cháhuā).


lăm le

(usually derogatory, Southern Vietnam) ready to; geared up to


hành chánh

(chiefly Southern Vietnam) Dated form of hành chính (“administrative”).


muối mè

[muəj˧˦ mɛ˨˩]

[muj˨˩˦ mɛ˦˩]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) A condiment made of salt and ground, roasted sesame or peanut, sprinkled on xôi and similar dishes.


huê

Sino-Vietnamese word from 花, variant of hoa. Compare doublets hòa & huề from 和.

1937, Dương Bá Trạc, "Vào hè (Into Summer)" in Nét mực tình (The Affectionate Ink Stroke)

The yellow (hue) fades; the color wanes; (I feel) dismayed for the flowers. / The rosy and colorful (petals) fall and drop; (I feel) sorry for the flowers.

Vàng phai, thắm nhạt ngán cho huê. / Hồng rơi thắm rụng tiếc cho huê.

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, dated or obsolete) flower


đề-pa

[ʔɗe˨˩ ʔɓaː˧˧]

[ʔɗe˨˩ paː˧˧]

[ʔɗej˦˩ ʔɓaː˧˧]

[ʔɗej˦˩ paː˧˧]

[ʔɗej˨˩ ʔɓaː˧˧]

[ʔɗej˨˩ paː˧˧]

(Southern Vietnam, of a car engine) to set off


khải

North Central Vietnam form of gãi (“to scratch”)


ảng

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) a kind of water container


cầu sung vừa đủ xài

[kəw˨˩ sʊwŋ͡m˧˧ vɨə˨˩ ʔɗu˧˩ saːj˨˩]

[kəw˦˩ ʂʊwŋ͡m˧˧ vɨə˦˩ ʔɗʊw˧˨ saːj˦˩]

[kəw˦˩ sʊwŋ͡m˧˧ vɨə˦˩ ʔɗʊw˧˨ saːj˦˩]

[kəw˨˩ ʂʊwŋ͡m˧˧ vɨə˨˩ ʔɗʊw˨˩˦ saːj˨˩]

[kəw˨˩ sʊwŋ͡m˧˧ jɨə˨˩ ʔɗʊw˨˩˦ saːj˨˩]

Based on the words for five types of fruits: mãng cầu (“sugar apple”), sung (“fig”), dừa (“coconut”), đu đủ (“papaya”), xoài (“mango”)), with phono-semantic matching with sung (充) (as in sung túc) and xài (“to use, to spend”); roughly "having enough wealth for a comfortable life".

(Southern Vietnam, occult) to offer certain fruits during Tết as a way to wish for fortune


xáp

Trời nóng thấy mồ đừng có xáp xáp vô.

It's damn hot today, stop trying to get so close to me.

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) to draw close; to come near


tiên sư

[tiən˧˧ sɨ˧˧]

[tiəŋ˧˧ ʂɨ˧˧]

[tiəŋ˧˧ sɨ˧˧]

[tiəŋ˧˧ ʂɨ˧˧]

[tiəŋ˧˧ sɨ˧˧]

(Northern Vietnam, offensive) used in insults


chôông

[t͡ɕoŋ˧˥ ~ coŋ˧˥]

Thằng Đán thua mình bốn tuổi, chỉ sáu tuổi thôi nhưng khôn hơn rận, chuyện gì cũng biết. Nó nói chôông là giống ma đó. Mình nói ma chi. Nó nói ma l. Mình cười he he he, đá đít nó một phát, nói ba trợn. Thằng Đán trợn mắt trương gân cổ lên, nói thiệt đo, anh không tin thì thôi. Mình nhăn răng cười, nói ba láp, nói ma l. răng không giống… Thằng Đán lại trợn mắt trương gân cổ lên, nói anh chộ rồi răng nói không giống, mình tịt câm. Nó nói anh không chộ chôông toàn làm hang ở mả đàn bà à. Nghe cũng có lý
Đán was four years younger than me, but he was very clever albeit being only six. He said "the agamas are ghosts". When I asked what kind of ghost they are, he replied that they were "c*nt ghosts". I laughed, kicked his ass and said that he was just making shit up. Đán insisted vehemently that they were real and "if you don't believe me, fine". I grinned, said he was just bullshitting, "if they are really "c*nt ghosts", why do they look nothing alike?"... Đán once again argued back just as vehemently, "Have you seen them or something, how can you be so sure that they look nothing alike?", which shut me up. He said, "Don't you see that the agamas always burrow in women's graves?". "Sounds reasonable", I thought.

2014, Nguyễn Quang Lập, “Quê choa chí dị”, in Chuyện nhà quê

(phonetic spelling) North Central Vietnam form of nhông (“agama”)


cà trật cà vuột

[kaː˨˩ t͡ɕət̚˧˨ʔ kaː˨˩ vuət̚˧˨ʔ]

[kaː˦˩ ʈək̚˨˩ʔ kaː˦˩ vuək̚˨˩ʔ]

[kaː˨˩ ʈək̚˨˩˨ kaː˨˩ vuək̚˨˩˨]

[kaː˨˩ ʈək̚˨˩˨ kaː˨˩ juək̚˨˩˨]

From cà- (“repetitive prefix”) + trật (“to miss”) + cà- + vuột (“to slip out”).

affix

Làm gì mà cà trật cà vuột vậy, để chỉ lại cho.

Man, that's not how you do it. Stand back, let me show you again.

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, colloquial) executed sloppily or without precision


làm bộ

[laːm˨˩ ʔɓo˧˨ʔ]

[laːm˦˩ ʔɓow˨˩ʔ]

[laːm˨˩ ʔɓow˨˩˨]

(chiefly Northern Vietnam) to feign; to pretend


giả đò

[zaː˧˩ ʔɗɔ˨˩]

[jaː˧˨ ʔɗɔ˦˩]

[jaː˨˩˦ ʔɗɔ˨˩]

giả đò làm như không biết

Bà Dursley lại còn giả đò như mình không có chị em nào hết […]

2017, J. K. Rowling, chapter 1, in Lý Lan, transl., Harry Potter Và Hòn Đá Phù Thủy [Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone], 29 edition, volume 1, Ho Chi Minh City: Nhà xuất bản Trẻ, →OCLC

Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister […]


ngá ngởn

[ŋaː˧˦ ŋəːn˧˩]

[ŋaː˨˩˦ ŋəːŋ˧˨]

[ŋaː˦˥ ŋəːŋ˨˩˦]

Đi đứng ngá ngởn kiểu gì mà giờ té giập mặt rồi thấy chưa.

How careless you got to be at walking that you got yourself injured so bad after just a fall.

(Southern Vietnam) carelessly; without paying much attention or regard to one's surrounding


bát ô-tô

[ʔɓaːt̚˧˦ ʔo˧˧ to˧˧]

[ʔɓaːk̚˦˧˥ ʔow˧˧ tow˧˧]

[ʔɓaːk̚˦˥ ʔow˧˧ tow˧˧]

(Northern Vietnam) a large bowl, "large" only in comparison to the small bát/chén/đọi in East Asia, but actually regular-sized elsewhere, usually used to contain more food than a small portion of rice for a person


đầy nhóc

[ʔɗəj˨˩ ɲawk͡p̚˧˦]

[ʔɗəj˦˩ ɲawk͡p̚˦˧˥]

[ʔɗəj˨˩ ɲawk͡p̚˦˥]

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) filled to the brim


vò vẽ

[vɔ˨˩ vɛ˦ˀ˥]

[vɔ˨˩ vɛ˨˩˦]

[jɔ˨˩ jɛ˨˩˦]

From vò (“wasp (obsolete)”) + vẽ, whose meaning is obscure.

Vespa affinis
Vespa affinis#Translingual

(Northern Vietnam) lesser banded hornet (Vespa affinis)


bò vẽ

[ʔɓɔ˨˩ vɛ˦ˀ˥]

[ʔɓɔ˦˩ vɛ˧˨]

[ʔɓɔ˨˩ vɛ˨˩˦]

[ʔɓɔ˨˩ jɛ˨˩˦]

Element bò is a variant of vò (“wasp (obsolete)”); element vẽ'’s meaning is obscure.

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) lesser banded hornet (Vespa affinis)


nhệch

Northern Vietnam form of lệch (“eel of the genus Pisodonophis”)


đưới

North Central Vietnam form of dưới (“under, below”)


đướn

Cognate with mainstream Vietnamese dưới; inherited from an unattested Central Old Vietnamese form different from the Northern Old Vietnamese attested in early Nôm texts.
This form appears to be distributed in Thanh Hoá, where *-l > /n/ was a common sound change.


pháo bông

[faːw˧˦ ʔɓəwŋ͡m˧˧]

[faːw˨˩˦ ʔɓəwŋ͡m˧˧]

[faːw˦˥ ʔɓəwŋ͡m˧˧]

pháo + bông, derived from pháo hoa with Sino-Vietnamese hoa replaced by native bông.

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) fireworks


nón lưỡi trai

[nɔn˧˦ lɨəj˦ˀ˥ t͡ɕaːj˧˧]

[nɔŋ˦˧˥ lɨj˧˨ ʈaːj˧˧]

[nɔŋ˦˥ lɨj˨˩˦ ʈaːj˧˧]

(Southern Vietnam, uncommon) a cap with visor


bỏng ngô

[ʔɓawŋ͡m˧˩ ŋo˧˧]

[ʔɓawŋ͡m˧˨ ŋow˧˧]

[ʔɓɔŋ˧˨ ŋow˧˧]

[ʔɓawŋ͡m˨˩˦ ŋow˧˧]


bửn

Hắn chơi bửn dữ, nỏ chơi với hắn nữa.

He played real dirty, I'm not playing with him anymore.

Mày sống bửn thế mà vẫn sống là con người được à?

You live this dirty and you're somehow still a human?

(North Central Vietnam, Northern Vietnam) Alternative form of bẩn


hầy

Nói nghe hay hầy?

You really are just saying anything huh?

Vậy chứ món đó cũng đâu mắc lắm đâu hầy.

When you think about it, that stuff is actually not that expensive, no?

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) Sentence-final question particle.


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!


dơ hì

[zəː˧˧ hi˨˩]

[jəː˧˧ hɪj˦˩]

[jəː˧˧ hɪj˨˩]

dơ hầy

with diphthongization of the second morpheme

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, colloquial) very dirty


rượu đế

[ziəw˧˨ʔ ʔɗe˧˦]

[ʐɨəw˨˩ʔ ʔɗej˨˩˦]

[ɹɨəw˨˩˨ ʔɗej˦˥]

rượu (“wine, liquor, drink, alcohol”) + đế (“kans grass”). Originated during the early period of French colonization of Vietnam, were the government allowed only one type of alcoholic beverage for consumption. Unsatisfied with that condition, the Vietnamese resorted to distilling their own liquor and hid it behind tall grass called cỏ tranh (cogon grass), or another kind of grass called đế (kans grass).

com

(Southern Vietnam) a distilled liquor from Vietnam, made of either glutinous or non-glutinous rice


bủh

In the Telex input method, mistyping bruh as burh produces "bủh". Riffs off the preexisting borrowing bro, which itself flouts Vietnamese spelling rules. Popularized by the meme Bruh. Ultimately a shortening of English brother from African-American Vernacular English.

(slang, Vietnam) Eye dialect spelling of bruh.


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.

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, vulgar) oh, shit, holy shit

Da Nang
Quảng Nam province
South Central Coast


hổm rày

(Southern Vietnam) "from then till now"; these days


máy rửa bát

[maj˧˦ zɨə˧˩ ʔɓaːt̚˧˦]

[maj˨˩˦ ʐɨə˧˨ ʔɓaːk̚˦˧˥]

[ma(ː)j˦˥ ɹɨə˨˩˦ ʔɓaːk̚˦˥]


mũ len

[mu˦ˀ˥ lɛn˧˧]

[mʊw˧˨ lɛŋ˧˧]

[mʊw˨˩˦ lɛŋ˧˧]


nón len

[nɔn˧˦ lɛn˧˧]

[nɔŋ˦˧˥ lɛŋ˧˧]

[nɔŋ˦˥ lɛŋ˧˧]


dầy

Northern Vietnam and Southern Vietnam form of dày


máy điều hoà không khí

[maj˧˦ ʔɗiəw˨˩ hwaː˨˩ xəwŋ͡m˧˧ xi˧˦]

[maj˨˩˦ ʔɗiw˦˩ hwaː˦˩ kʰəwŋ͡m˧˧ kʰɪj˨˩˦]

[maj˨˩˦ ʔɗiw˦˩ hwaː˦˩ xəwŋ͡m˧˧ xɪj˨˩˦]

[ma(ː)j˦˥ ʔɗiw˨˩ waː˨˩ kʰəwŋ͡m˧˧ kʰɪj˦˥]

[ma(ː)j˦˥ ʔɗiw˨˩ waː˨˩ xəwŋ͡m˧˧ xɪj˦˥]


lục lăng

[lʊwk͡p̚˧˨ʔ laŋ˧˧]

[lʊwk͡p̚˨˩ʔ laŋ˧˧]

[lʊwk͡p̚˨˩˨ laŋ˧˧]

LL-Q9199 (vie)-Penn Zero MSSJ-lục lăng.wav

Sino-Vietnamese word from 六 (“six”) and 棱 (“arris, edge, corner”).

vi-etym-sino

(slang, obsolete, Southern Vietnam) a gangster, an homeless guy who causes trouble


lục lăng

[lʊwk͡p̚˧˨ʔ laŋ˧˧]

[lʊwk͡p̚˨˩ʔ laŋ˧˧]

[lʊwk͡p̚˨˩˨ laŋ˧˧]

(slang, obsolete, Southern Vietnam) aggressive, stubborn, tameless


nước lèo

[nɨək̚˧˦ lɛw˨˩]

[nɨək̚˦˧˥ lɛw˦˩]

[nɨək̚˦˥ lɛw˨˩]

(Southern Vietnam, cooking) broth, esp. used for pouring over noodles


kiếng cận

[kiəŋ˧˦ kən˧˨ʔ]

[kiəŋ˦˧˥ kəŋ˨˩ʔ]

[kiəŋ˦˥ kəŋ˨˩˨]


tủ kiếng

[tu˧˩ kiəŋ˧˦]

[tʊw˧˨ kiəŋ˦˧˥]

[tʊw˨˩˦ kiəŋ˦˥]


đậu phụng

[ʔɗəw˧˨ʔ fʊwŋ͡m˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɗəw˨˩ʔ fʊwŋ͡m˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɗəw˨˩˨ fʊwŋ͡m˨˩˨]

(chiefly Central Vietnam) peanut, groundnut, earthnut


lẹ làng

[lɛ˧˨ʔ laːŋ˨˩]

[lɛ˨˩ʔ laːŋ˦˩]

[lɛ˨˩˨ laːŋ˨˩]


dẫy

Northern Vietnam and Southern Vietnam form of dãy


chụp hình

[t͡ɕup̚˧˨ʔ hïŋ˨˩]

[t͡ɕup̚˨˩ʔ hɨn˦˩]

[cʊp̚˨˩˨ hɨn˨˩]

Anh chị em mình cùng chụp hình kỉ niệm nhé!

(Southern Vietnam) to photograph; to take a photo


vị tinh

[vi˧˨ʔ tïŋ˧˧]

[vɪj˨˩ʔ tɨn˧˧]

[vɪj˨˩˨ tɨn˧˧]

[jɪj˨˩˨ tɨn˧˧]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 味精. Doublet of mì chính.


vô phước

[vo˧˧ fɨək̚˧˦]

[vow˧˧ fɨək̚˦˧˥]

[vow˧˧ fɨək̚˦˥]

[jow˧˧ fɨək̚˦˥]


quợn

quợn bụng

having a hard time dealing with the content in the stomach

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial, of stomach) uneasy, as similar to urge to vomit


quợn

(Southern Vietnam, colloquial) to fear; to be scared


ráng sức

[zaːŋ˧˦ sɨk̚˧˦]

[ʐaːŋ˦˧˥ ʂɨk̚˦˧˥]

[ʐaːŋ˦˧˥ sɨk̚˦˧˥]

[ɹaːŋ˦˥ ʂɨk̚˦˥]

[ɹaːŋ˦˥ sɨk̚˦˥]

(Southern Vietnam) to try hard; to strain; to endeavor


nhơ bẩn

[ɲəː˧˧ ʔɓən˧˩]

[ɲəː˧˧ ʔɓəŋ˧˨]

[ɲəː˧˧ ʔɓəŋ˨˩˦]


mận bắc

[mən˧˨ʔ ʔɓak̚˧˦]

[məŋ˨˩ʔ ʔɓak̚˦˧˥]

[məŋ˨˩˨ ʔɓak̚˦˥]

mận (“plum”) + bắc (“North”), so named because within Vietnam, it is only grown in the Northern region.

(Southern Vietnam) Prunus salicina, the Chinese plum or Japanese plum


thi đỗ

[tʰi˧˧ ʔɗo˦ˀ˥]

[tʰɪj˧˧ ʔɗow˧˨]

[tʰɪj˧˧ ʔɗow˨˩˦]


miết

(Southern Vietnam) uninterruptedly; without a break; continuously


bánh đúc

[ʔɓajŋ̟˧˦ ʔɗʊwk͡p̚˧˦]

[ʔɓɛɲ˦˧˥ ʔɗʊwk͡p̚˦˧˥]

[ʔɓan˦˥ ʔɗʊwk͡p̚˦˥]

(Northern Vietnam) Vietnamese rice cake made from either non-glutinous rice flour or corn flour. It is white in color and has a soft texture and mild flavour. It is typically garnished with savory ingredients such as ground pork, tôm chấy (grilled ground shrimp), fried onions, sesame seeds, salt, peanuts, lime juice, and soy sauce or fish sauce.

Pandanus amaryllifolius
Pandanus amaryllifolius#Translingual

(Southern Vietnam) Vietnamese rice cake made from non-glutinous rice flour. It takes the form of gelatinous blocks that are often colored green by the addition of Pandanus amaryllifolius leaf extract.


phóng lợn

[fawŋ͡m˧˦ ləːn˧˨ʔ]

[fawŋ͡m˦˧˥ ləːŋ˨˩ʔ]

[fɔŋ˦˧˥ ləːŋ˨˩ʔ]

[fawŋ͡m˦˥ ləːŋ˨˩˨]

phóng (“to launch; to throw”) + lợn (“pig”).


trèo cao té đau

[t͡ɕɛw˨˩ kaːw˧˧ tɛ˧˦ ʔɗaw˧˧]

[ʈɛw˦˩ kaːw˧˧ tɛ˨˩˦ ʔɗaw˧˧]

[ʈɛw˨˩ kaːw˧˧ tɛ˦˥ ʔɗa(ː)w˧˧]

Mày đừng có trèo cao té đau, tao sẽ đá mày xuống mà không cần nhìn lại.

Don't you dare climb high and fall hard, I will kick you down and not look back.

(Southern Vietnam) the higher you climb, the harder/further you fall


ngãi lới

[ŋaːj˦ˀ˥ ləːj˧˦]

[ŋaːj˧˨ ləːj˨˩˦]

[ŋaːj˨˩˦ ləːj˦˥]

While ngãi was common, the reading lới for 理 (MC liX) was very rare; in fact, this seems to be the only compound where lới occurred (unless the element in mánh lới is the same).
This word is attested as ngãi lới in the Dictionarium anamitico-latinum (both in the 1772 manuscript and the 1838 version) and as ngải lới in Như Tây nhựt trình (1889). It is completely obsolete, being replaced by the Northern nghĩa lí.

Đặng mà học, cho rành ngải lới,Kẻo chưa thông, thấu tới bật cao.

1889, Trương Minh Ký, Như Tây nhựt trình

So they could learn, to know what is right,In case they had not understood things in depth.

(obsolete) Southern Vietnam form of nghĩa lí


bang bang

[ʔɓaːŋ˧˧ ʔɓaːŋ˧˧]

[ʔɓaːŋ˧˧ ʔɓaːŋ˧˧]

[ʔɓaːŋ˧˧ ʔɓaːŋ˧˧]

Trưa trời trưa trật làm gì đi bang bang ngoài đường vậy ông nội?

It's high noon, what are you doing going around looking like you don't have a care for this world?

(Southern Vietnam) without caring about one's environment or surrounding


xáp lá cà

[saːp̚˧˦ laː˧˦ kaː˨˩]

[saːp̚˦˧˥ laː˨˩˦ kaː˦˩]

[saːp̚˦˥ laː˦˥ kaː˨˩]

Central Vietnam and Southern Vietnam form of giáp lá cà (“close-quarter combat”)


giồng giọt

[zəwŋ͡m˨˩ zɔt̚˧˨ʔ]

[jəwŋ͡m˦˩ jɔk̚˨˩ʔ]

[jəwŋ͡m˨˩ jɔk̚˨˩˨]

Núi cao khó ở, ở được tất phải khôn ngoan mới biết được cách trống được với gió to, rét nhớn; sông sâu mới khó vận nước đi mà giồng-giọt làm ăn, muốn vận được tất phải dùng mưu dùng mẹo khôn ngoan.

1907, Nguyễn Văn Vĩnh, “Chết vì gạo”, in Đại Nam Đăng Cổ Tùng Báo

It's hard to live on high mountains, so if someone lives there, they must be smart enough to know to deal with big winds and great colds; irrigation for growing crops is difficult when rivers are deep, so if they can do that, they must have some bright ideas.


tức cười

[tɨk̚˧˦ kɨəj˨˩]

[tɨk̚˦˧˥ kɨj˦˩]

[tɨk̚˦˥ kɨj˨˩]


lĩnh thổ

[lïŋ˦ˀ˥ tʰo˧˩]

[lɨn˨˩˦ tʰow˨˩˦]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 領土 (“territory”), with the Northern reading of the first character.


coi bộ

[kɔj˧˧ ʔɓo˧˨ʔ]

[kɔj˧˧ ʔɓow˨˩ʔ]

[kɔj˧˧ ʔɓow˨˩˨]

coi (“to look”) + bộ (“bearing, appearance”).

com

Near-synonym: có vẻ

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, colloquial) to seem


giuống

Probably from an affixed form of the root that gave rise to xuống (“to go downwards, to descend”).
Attested in the Dictionarium Annamiticum Lusitanum et Latinum (1651), a dictionary based chiefly on the Northern dialects, as giuống, glossed with Latin deſcendo (“to descend”). Attested in Đại Nam quấc âm tự vị (1895), a dictionary based chiefly on the Southern dialects, as giuống, glossed nhấc ra khỏi bếp (“to put down from the stove”), noted as tiếng ít dùng ("uncommon word"), so most likely already obsolete or rare in the Southern dialects by then.
Attested in Từ điển phương ngữ Huế ("A Dictionary of the Hue dialect(s)", 2017) with the unetymological spelling duống, glossed as nhấc (xuống) (“to put down”).

Con coi trách cá cho mạ, khi mô thấy nước síp síp thì duống xuống nghe!

You go look after the pot of fish [that is being cooked] for me, once most of the water has evaporated, you must put the pot down from the fire.

(Central Vietnam, obsolete in other dialects) to put down


𠄯

(Northern Vietnam) dirty; unclean; filthy

(Northern Vietnam, colloquial) bad; mean; despicable


toóc

Rồi mùa toóc rã, rơm khô.
Bậu về quê bậu, biết mô mà tìm.


mươn

(North Central Vietnam) a kind of bamboo pallet, resembling a small table


giạ

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) a kind of bushel for measuring grains or beans.


đồn đột

[ʔɗon˨˩ ʔɗot̚˧˨ʔ]

[ʔɗoŋ˦˩ ʔɗok̚˨˩ʔ]

[ʔɗoŋ˨˩ ʔɗok̚˨˩˨]

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) sea cucumber


lỗ tai cây

[lo˦ˀ˥ taːj˧˧ kəj˧˧]

lỗ tai (“ear canal”) + cây (“tree”), i.e. "tree ears", which of course do not exist, as opposed to normal functional human ears.

Mày lỗ tai cây hay gì mà kêu ba bốn tiếng chưa trả lời?

Are your ears decorations? How come you showed no acknowledgement although I've called for you several times already?

(Southern Vietnam, derogatory) ears merely for show


thoạ

[tʰ⁽ʷ⁾aː˨˩˨]

(Central Vietnam) drawer (open-topped box that can be slid in and out of the cabinet that contains it)


quân khu

[kwəŋ˧˧ kʰʊw˧˧]

[kwəŋ˧˧ xʊw˧˧]

[wəŋ˧˧ kʰʊw˧˧]

[wəŋ˧˧ xʊw˧˧]

(Vietnam, military) a large-scale military unit of the People's Army of Vietnam responsible for a certain area of Vietnam's territory


Thế Tôn

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 世宗 (SV: Thế Tông). See tôn giáo.

der

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

vi-etym-sino

(historical, Southern Vietnam) Misconstruction of Thế Tông (a temple name)


ràng ràng

[zaːŋ˨˩ zaːŋ˨˩]

[ʐaːŋ˦˩ ʐaːŋ˦˩]

[ɹaːŋ˨˩ ɹaːŋ˨˩]

(North Central Vietnam) clearly, plainly


Uỷ ban Thường vụ Quốc hội

[ʔwi˧˩ ʔɓaːn˧˧ tʰɨəŋ˨˩ vu˧˨ʔ kuək̚˧˦ hoj˧˨ʔ]

[ʔwɪj˧˨ ʔɓaːŋ˧˧ tʰɨəŋ˦˩ vʊw˨˩ʔ kuək̚˦˧˥ hoj˨˩ʔ]

[(ʔ)wɪj˨˩˦ ʔɓaːŋ˧˧ tʰɨəŋ˨˩ vʊw˨˩˨ wək̚˦˥ hoj˨˩˨]

[(ʔ)wɪj˨˩˦ ʔɓaːŋ˧˧ tʰɨəŋ˨˩ jʊw˨˩˨ wək̚˦˥ hoj˨˩˨]

uỷ ban (“committee”) + thường vụ (“standing”) + quốc hội (“national assembly”).

com

(Vietnam, politics) the Standing Committee of the National Assembly (the highest standing body of the National Assembly of Vietnam)


ốm nhom

[ʔom˧˦ ɲɔm˧˧]

[ʔom˦˧˥ ɲɔm˧˧]

[ʔom˦˥ ɲɔm˧˧]

Bà Dursley thì ốm nhom, tóc vàng, với một cái cổ dài gấp đôi bình thường […]

Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck […]

(Southern Vietnam) as thin as a lath; very thin or skinny


trốt

cơn (classifier)
con (classifier)
卒 (CJK)
啐 (CJK)
律 (CJK)


mất tiêu

[mət̚˧˦ tiəw˧˧]

[mək̚˦˧˥ tiw˧˧]

Ủa, chia khoá mất tiêu đâu rồi?

(Southern Vietnam, Central Vietnam, colloquial) to vanish


mội

Mội nước khoáng trị bệnh nằm tại Phú Ninh, được nhà máy nạp chai, có khả năng dùng (giới hạn) cho cả tỉnh Quảng Nam, [...]

2009, Trần Kim Thạch, Khu kinh tế mở Chu Lai: Một lối vào thế kỷ 21 của Việt Nam [Chu Lai Open Economic Zone: A path towards the 21st century for Vietnam], Ho Chi Minh City: Nhà xuất bản Trẻ, page 101

(please add an English translation of this quotation)

(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) subterranean spring or stream


tụi tui

(Southern Vietnam, between speakers of equal social status) we/us (exclusive)


cắc củm

head

cắc củm (‑a reduplication cắc ca cắc củm)

[kak̚˦˥ kʊm˨˩˦]

(Southern Vietnam) to economise; to spend sparingly