bà
Hanoi [ʔɓaː˨˩]Huế [ʔɓaː˦˩]Saigon [ʔɓaː˨˩] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
bà means a grandmother; an old woman; an old lady.
Chinese characters: 婆
Meanings of bà in English
Noun
- a grandmother
- an old woman; an old lady
- honorific a lady, old or young
- Hai Bà Trưngthe Two Ladies Trưng
Pronoun
- you, my grandmother
- familiar, informal you, an old woman
- formal you, a woman about 40 or older
- I/me, your grandmother
- familiar, informal I/me, an old woman
- informal you, a gal
- Bà chỉ tôi chỗ này với.Girl, can you help me with this one?
- she/her, an admirable/lovable old/deceased woman
Words with bà
Example sentences with bà
- Bà tôi đã gửi thư sáng nay. My grandmother posted the letter this morning.
- Bà ta đắm chìm trong lạc thú. She abandoned herself to pleasure.
- Tôi vừa nói chuyện với bà ta. I just spoke with her.
- Một ngày nọ, bà bị ốm. One day, the grandmother fell ill.
- Một ngày nọ, bà bị bệnh. One day, the grandmother fell ill.
- Bà tôi già nhưng khỏe mạnh. My grandmother is old but healthy.
- Bà ta hẳn là trên 80 tuổi rồi. She must be over eighty.
- Bà tôi dạy tôi cách làm pa tê. My grandmother taught me this pâté recipe.
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, bà could be written as 妑, 𱙘. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
Sino-Vietnamese word from 婆 (“grandmother”). In Chinese and Japanese, the male counterpart would be 爺 /爷 (yé, “grandfather”), but Vietnamese ông derives from 翁 (“old man”) instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does bà mean in English?
bà (noun) means "a grandmother; an old woman; an old lady".
How do you pronounce bà?
IPA: Hanoi [ʔɓaː˨˩]; Saigon [ʔɓaː˨˩]. Tones: bà — falling tone (huyền).
Is bà a Sino-Vietnamese word?
Yes. bà is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 婆.