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động cơ

Level ≈B2 (approx.) noun Sino-Vietnamese Top 5,000 most common
Hanoi [ʔɗəwŋ͡m˧˨ʔ kəː˧˧]Huế [ʔɗəwŋ͡m˨˩ʔ kəː˧˧]Saigon [ʔɗəwŋ͡m˨˩˨ kəː˧˧] browser voice
Syllables · tones
độngheavynặngcơlevelngang

Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →

động cơ means motive; intent.

Chinese characters: 動機

Meanings of động cơ in English

Noun

  1. state of someone's mind when committing a crime; motive, intent
    • động cơ gây ánone's motive for committing a crime
  2. machinery motor; engine

Example sentences with động cơ

  • Động cơ của vụ án mạng chưa được làm rõ. The motive for the murder is not yet known.
  • Động cơ này đã vượt qua mọi bài đánh giá hiệu năng. This engine has passed all performance evaluations.

Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 動機. The sense "motive; intent" is from Japanese 動機 (dōki, “motive”)

Frequently asked questions

What does động cơ mean in English?

động cơ (noun) means "motive; intent".

How do you pronounce động cơ?

IPA: Hanoi [ʔɗəwŋ͡m˧˨ʔ kəː˧˧]; Saigon [ʔɗəwŋ͡m˨˩˨ kəː˧˧]. Tones: động — heavy tone (nặng), cơ — level tone (ngang).

Is động cơ a Sino-Vietnamese word?

Yes. động cơ is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 動機.

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited; example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). IPA shown for three accents: Hanoi (Northern), Huế (Central) and Saigon (Southern). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice, for reference only. Levels are approximate, estimated from word frequency. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.