bí
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
bí means pumpkin.
Meanings of bí in English
Noun
- pumpkin
- other plants in the Cucurbitaceae family
Verb
- informal, slang to not know
- Cái đó thì bí.I don't know about that.
- of a space stuffy; cramped
- Phòng này không thông hơi nên bí quá!This room isn't well-ventilated, so it's too stuffy!
Words with bí
Example sentences with bí
- Bạn có trồng bí ngô không? Do you plant pumpkins?
- Tom đã say bí tỉ. Tom was totally wasted.
- Sao bạn lại uống say bí tỉ thế này cơ chứ! Why do you drink until you're this drunk?
- Sao bạn lại uống đến say bí tỉ thế này cơ chứ! Why do you drink until you're this drunk?
- Bạn có thể giúp tôi mở cửa sổ để phòng này bớt bí hơn được không? Will you open the window and air out this stuffy room?
- Củ cải vàng, bí, cà rốt, đậu và khoai lang được xem là các loại rau củ chứa nhiều tinh bột. Parsnips, squash, carrots, peas and sweet potatoes are considered starchy vegetables.
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, bí could be written as 秘, 泌, 費, 𦷬. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
From Proto-Vietic *k-biːrʔ ~ *k-piːrʔ, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *cpiir. Cognate with Muong pỉl, proto-Monic *cmpiir (modern Mon သ္ပဳ (həpɔe, “pumpkin”)), Riang sᵊpir¹, Khmu [Cuang] hmpiːr ("melon").
Frequently asked questions
What does bí mean in English?
bí (noun) means "pumpkin".
How do you pronounce bí?
IPA: Hanoi [ʔɓi˧˦]; Saigon [ʔɓɪj˦˥]. Tones: bí — rising tone (sắc).
Is bí a Sino-Vietnamese word?
Yes. bí is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 秘.
What classifier is used with bí?
Common classifiers: cây, trái, quả — for example "một cây bí" (one pumpkin).