bắt tay

Level ≈B2 (approx.) verb Top 5,000 most common

Hanoi [ʔɓat̚˧˦ taj˧˧]Huế [ʔɓak̚˦˧˥ taj˧˧]Saigon [ʔɓak̚˦˥ ta(ː)j˧˧] browser voice

Syllables · tones

bắtrisingsắc taylevelngang

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

bắt tay means to shake hands; to join hands with; to collaborate.

Meanings of bắt tay in English

Verb

to shake hands
to join hands with; to collaborate
to start; to take up; to begin

Example sentences with bắt tay

Họ đã bắt tay với đảng Tự do. They aligned themselves with the Liberals.
Khi bắt tay ai không được nắm chặt quá. You can't shake someone's hand with a clenched fist.

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

Etymology

bắt + tay.

Frequently asked questions

What does bắt tay mean in English?

bắt tay (verb) means "to shake hands; to join hands with; to collaborate".

How do you pronounce bắt tay?

IPA: Hanoi [ʔɓat̚˧˦ taj˧˧]; Saigon [ʔɓak̚˦˥ ta(ː)j˧˧]. Tones: bắt — rising tone (sắc), tay — level tone (ngang).

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.