ạ

Level ≈A2 (approx.) particleverb Top 1,000 most common

Hanoi [ʔaː˧˨ʔ]Huế [ʔaː˨˩ʔ]Saigon [ʔaː˨˩˨] browser voice

Syllables · tones

ạheavynặng

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

ạ means (polite particle at the end of a sentence).

Meanings of ạ in English

Particle

polite Used at the end of the sentence to express formality or politeness, usually to older people
- Chào cụ ạ!Hi! (to an elderly person)

Verb

Northern Vietnam to use the particle ạ when speaking to someone
- Con hư quá! Phải ạ chú đi chứ!That's not polite of you! Don't forget to use ạ!

Example sentences with ạ

Xin hãy thử số khác đi ạ. Try another number, please.
Giám đốc đang ở đâu thế ạ? Where's the president?
Giám đốc đang ở đâu vậy ạ? Where's the president?
Có ai ở nhà không ạ? Is anybody home?
Làm ơn nói to hơn ạ. Please speak more loudly.
Mẹ đang nấu gì đấy ạ? What are you cooking?
Xin nói to hơn nữa ạ. Please speak more loudly.
Bạn hãy nói to lên ạ. Please speak more loudly.

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

Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)

Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, ạ could be written as 𠶚. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Frequently asked questions

What does ạ mean in English?

ạ (particle) means "(polite particle at the end of a sentence)".

How do you pronounce ạ?

IPA: Hanoi [ʔaː˧˨ʔ]; Saigon [ʔaː˨˩˨]. Tones: ạ — heavy tone (nặng).

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.