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bảo

Level ≈A1 (approx.) verb Sino-Vietnamese Top 1,000 most common
Hanoi [ʔɓaːw˧˩]Huế [ʔɓaːw˧˨]Saigon [ʔɓaːw˨˩˦] browser voice
Syllables · tones
bảodippinghỏi

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

bảo means to inform; to command by telling.

Chinese characters: 保

Meanings of bảo in English

Verb

  1. to inform; to command by telling
    • Lại đây mẹ bảo.Come here, I got something to tell you. / I got something I want you to do.
    • Nó bảo thứ hai nghỉ.She told me we don't need to come on Monday.
    • Đã bảo rồi!Told you!

Words with bảo

khuyên bảobảo vệbảo tàngbảo quảnbảo hiểmbảo thủbảo tồnbảo anbảo bốibảo chứngbảo dưỡngbảo hànhbảo hộbảo kiếmbảo kêbảo lãnhbảo lưubảo mẫubảo mậtbảo toànbảo trìbảo trọngbảo trợbảo vậtbảo đảm

Example sentences with bảo

  • Mẹ tôi bảo tôi đi cắt cỏ. Mother told me to mow the lawn.
  • Má tôi bảo tôi đi cắt cỏ. Mother told me to mow the lawn.
  • Bố tôi bảo tôi giữ im lặng. Dad told me to keep quiet.
  • Tôi bảo họ gửi tôi thẻ khác. I told them to send me another ticket.
  • Bảo Tom là tôi cũng muốn đi. Tell Tom that I want to go, too.
  • Tom bảo tôi sẽ phải chờ đợi. Tom says I have to wait.
  • Tom bảo Mary bật cái đèn lên. Tom asked Mary to turn on the light.
  • Tom bảo rằng anh ấy nghiêm túc. Tom said that he was serious.

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, bảo could be written as 保, 𠸒. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Usage note: bảo

bảo means "to tell (someone to do something)" or "to say", especially in the North.

  • Tell someone to: Mẹ bảo tôi về sớm. — Mum told me to come home early.
  • Say (North, casual): Anh ấy bảo là không đến. — He said he isn't coming.
  • Ai bảo anh thế? — Who told you that?

For instructions given to someone, bảo is more natural than nói: Sếp bảo tôi gửi email. — The boss told me to send an email. In the South, kêu often plays this role: Má kêu con về.

It also means "to advise, teach": Anh bảo em cách làm với. — Show me how to do it, would you?

Notice bảo as a different Sino-Vietnamese syllable meaning "protect, keep": bảo vệ (protect; security guard), bảo hiểm (insurance), bảo tàng (museum).

Etymology

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 報 (SV: báo). Doublet of báo.

Frequently asked questions

What does bảo mean in English?

bảo (verb) means "to inform; to command by telling".

How do you pronounce bảo?

IPA: Hanoi [ʔɓaːw˧˩]; Saigon [ʔɓaːw˨˩˦]. Tones: bảo — dipping tone (hỏi).

Is bảo a Sino-Vietnamese word?

Yes. bảo is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 保.

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.