bài

Level ≈A1 (approx.) nounverbclassifier Sino-Vietnamese Top 1,000 most common

Hanoi [ʔɓaːj˨˩]Huế [ʔɓaːj˦˩]Saigon [ʔɓaːj˨˩] browser voice

Syllables · tones

bàifallinghuyền

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

bài means card; playing card; card game.

Chinese characters: 牌 Classifier: lá — e.g. một lá bài (one card)

Meanings of bài in English

Noun

card, playing card, card game

Noun

lesson
exercise, paper, task, theme

Noun

tag, tablet

Verb

to be against; to oppose; to act against

Classifier

used for compositions like songs, drawings, poems, essays, etc.

Words with bài

Example sentences with bài

Quá dễ để tôi giải bài toán. It is easy for me to solve the problem.
Quá dễ để tao giải bài toán. It is easy for me to solve the problem.
Bài thứ hai thì rất đơn giản. The second lesson is very simple.
Tôi khong muốn trượt bài kiểm tra. I don't want to fail my exams.
"Tôi muốn đánh bài." "Tôi cũng vậy." "I feel like playing cards." "So do I."
Bài kiểm tra thế nào rồi? How was your exam?
Tôi đã trượt bài kiểm tra. I failed an exam.
Bạn có thích chơi bài không? Do you like to play cards?

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

Usage note: bài

bài is a classifier for pieces of text or performance: lessons, songs, articles, exercises.

bài học — lesson: Hôm nay chúng ta học bài 5. — Today we study lesson 5.
bài hát — song: Bạn thích bài nào? — Which song do you like?
bài tập — exercise, homework; bài báo — newspaper article
bài thi — exam paper

bài also means "playing cards": chơi bài — play cards; một bộ bài — a deck of cards.

And it appears in words about rejecting: bài trừ (eliminate), bài ngoại (xenophobic).

✗ một cái hát → ✓ một bài hát. When context is clear, bài alone is enough: Hát thêm một bài nữa đi! — Sing another one!

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 牌 (“card”).

Frequently asked questions

What does bài mean in English?

bài (noun) means "card; playing card; card game".

How do you pronounce bài?

IPA: Hanoi [ʔɓaːj˨˩]; Saigon [ʔɓaːj˨˩]. Tones: bài — falling tone (huyền).

Is bài a Sino-Vietnamese word?

Yes. bài is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 牌.

What classifier is used with bài?

Common classifiers: lá — for example "một lá bài" (one card).

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.