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bút chì

Level ≈A2 (approx.) noun Top 1,000 most common
Hanoi [ʔɓut̚˧˦ t͡ɕi˨˩]Huế [ʔɓʊk̚˦˧˥ t͡ɕɪj˦˩]Saigon [ʔɓʊk͡p̚˦˥ cɪj˨˩] browser voice
Syllables · tones
bútrisingsắcchìfallinghuyền

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

bút chì means a pencil.

Classifier: cây, chiếc — e.g. một cây bút chì (one pencil)

Meanings of bút chì in English

Noun

  1. a pencil (graphite writing-instrument) ≈ viết chì

Words with bút chì

bút chì kimbút chì màu

Example sentences with bút chì

  • Tôi quên hộp bút chì ở nhà. I forgot my pencil case at home.
  • Tom gọt bút chì của anh ấy. Tom sharpened his pencil.
  • Bút chì cùn rồi. Nó cần gọt. The pencil is blunt. It needs sharpening.
  • Tôi đã mua ba chiếc bút chì. I bought three pencils.
  • Mary làm rơi bút chì của cô. Mary dropped her pencil.
  • Anh ấy mượn một cái bút chì. He borrowed a pencil.
  • Tom bẻ gãy bút chì của mình. Tom broke his pencil.
  • Tôi đánh rơi bút chì của mình. I dropped my pencil.

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, bút chì could be written as 筆鈘. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

bút (“writing instrument”) + chì (“lead”), a calque of Japanese 鉛筆 (enpitsu).

Frequently asked questions

What does bút chì mean in English?

bút chì (noun) means "a pencil".

How do you pronounce bút chì?

IPA: Hanoi [ʔɓut̚˧˦ t͡ɕi˨˩]; Saigon [ʔɓʊk͡p̚˦˥ cɪj˨˩]. Tones: bút — rising tone (sắc), chì — falling tone (huyền).

What classifier is used with bút chì?

Common classifiers: cây, chiếc — for example "một cây bút chì" (one a pencil).

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.