ba ba
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
ba ba means soft-shell turtle.
Meanings of ba ba in English
Noun
- soft-shell turtle
Idioms and sayings with ba ba
- ba ba ấp bóng — doing something that is futile and pointless
Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)
Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, ba ba could be written as 巴巴, 蚆蚆. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
From Proto-Mon-Khmer *t₁paʔ (“turtle”). Cognate with Proto-Bahnaric *tpaː (“turtle”) (whence Bahnar tơpa), Proto-Katuic *tpaa (“soft-shelled turtle”), Samre m̩pʰaː, Khmu [Cuang] tmpaʔ and Mang maː¹ paː². Compare Proto-Austronesian *qaCipa (“soft-shelled turtle”).
Frequently asked questions
What does ba ba mean in English?
ba ba (noun) means "soft-shell turtle".
How do you pronounce ba ba?
IPA: Hanoi [ʔɓaː˧˧ ʔɓaː˧˧]; Saigon [ʔɓaː˧˧ ʔɓaː˧˧]. Tones: ba — level tone (ngang), ba — level tone (ngang).
What classifier is used with ba ba?
Common classifiers: con — for example "một con ba ba" (one soft-shell turtle).