ba cái

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

Hanoi [ʔɓaː˧˧ kaːj˧˦]Huế [ʔɓaː˧˧ kaːj˨˩˦]Saigon [ʔɓaː˧˧ kaːj˦˥] browser voice

Syllables · tones

balevelngang cáirisingsắc

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

ba cái means cái.

Meanings of ba cái in English

Phrase

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see ba, cái.

Prefix

all that/those; and stuff; and shit; or whatever (expressing uninterest, indifference or apathy about what is being mentioned)
- ba cái đồ nhôm nhựaall that junk; junk and stuff; junk or whatever
- Tao đéo cần biết ba cái đồ nữ trang của mày.I don't give a fuck about your jewelry shit.
- ba cái chuyện vặt vãnhall that frivolous stuff

Example sentences with ba cái

Tôi muốn ba cái loại này. I'd like three of these.
Đưa cho tôi ba cái. Please give me three of these.
Có ba cái nút. There are three buttons.

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

Etymology

ba (“three”) + cái (generic classifier). ba seems to occur in generalizing or dismissive expressions, like dăm ba (literally “five and three”) for example.

Frequently asked questions

What does ba cái mean in English?

ba cái (phrase) means "cái".

How do you pronounce ba cái?

IPA: Hanoi [ʔɓaː˧˧ kaːj˧˦]; Saigon [ʔɓaː˧˧ kaːj˦˥]. Tones: ba — level tone (ngang), cái — rising tone (sắc).

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.