bất thình lình
adverb Top 5,000 most common
Hanoi [ʔɓət̚˧˦ tʰïŋ˨˩ lïŋ˨˩]Huế [ʔɓək̚˦˧˥ tʰɨn˦˩ lɨn˦˩]Saigon [ʔɓək̚˦˥ tʰɨn˨˩ lɨn˨˩] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
bất thình lình means suddenly; all of a sudden.
Meanings of bất thình lình in English
Adverb
- suddenly; all of a sudden (more emphatic than thình lình)
Example sentences with bất thình lình
- Bất thình lình, anh ấy té ngửa ra sau. Suddenly, he fell down on his back.
Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).
Etymology
bất + thình lình (“suddenly”), the former is Sino-Vietnamese from 不 (“not”), but has been generalised here to become an emphatic prefix for describing unforeseen, unexpected action. Compare bất chợt, bất đồ, bất giác, bất ngờ, bất thần, bất tử, etc.
Frequently asked questions
What does bất thình lình mean in English?
bất thình lình (adverb) means "suddenly; all of a sudden".
How do you pronounce bất thình lình?
IPA: Hanoi [ʔɓət̚˧˦ tʰïŋ˨˩ lïŋ˨˩]; Saigon [ʔɓək̚˦˥ tʰɨn˨˩ lɨn˨˩]. Tones: bất — rising tone (sắc), thình — falling tone (huyền), lình — falling tone (huyền).