bặt vô âm tín
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
bặt vô âm tín means missing; whereabouts unknown; complete radio silent.
Meanings of bặt vô âm tín in English
Phrase
- idiomatic missing; whereabouts unknown; complete radio silent
- Nó đi bụi mấy năm trời bặt vô âm tín, vậy mà tuần trước tự nhiên ló mặt về nhà như không.He ran away, not a whit of contact nor news for a few years, yet just last week, I saw him at home acting as if nothing happened at all.
Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)
Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, bặt vô âm tín could be written as 拔無音信. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
Apparently a Vietnamese construct from Sinitic elements: 拔 (bá, “to pull”), 無 /无 (“not have, nothing”), 音信 (yīnxìn, “news”). Compare the obsolete/archaic compound bặt tin (“radio silent”).
Frequently asked questions
What does bặt vô âm tín mean in English?
bặt vô âm tín (phrase) means "missing; whereabouts unknown; complete radio silent".
How do you pronounce bặt vô âm tín?
IPA: Hanoi [ʔɓat̚˧˨ʔ vo˧˧ ʔəm˧˧ tin˧˦]; Saigon [ʔɓak̚˨˩˨ vow˧˧ ʔəm˧˧ tɨn˦˥]. Tones: bặt — heavy tone (nặng), vô — level tone (ngang), âm — level tone (ngang), tín — rising tone (sắc).