ba hồn bảy vía
noun
Hanoi [ʔɓaː˧˧ hon˨˩ ʔɓaj˧˩ viə˧˦]Huế [ʔɓaː˧˧ hoŋ˦˩ ʔɓaj˧˨ viə˨˩˦]Saigon [ʔɓaː˧˧ hoŋ˨˩ ʔɓa(ː)j˨˩˦ viə˦˥] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
Meanings of ba hồn bảy vía in English
Noun
- typically in summoning rituals the three hun and seven po of a dead male person
- Bớ ba hồn bảy vía ông Quang!O the holy spirits of Mr. Quang!
Etymology
Calque of Chinese 三魂七魄 (tam hồn thất phách, literally “three hun, seven po”)
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce ba hồn bảy vía?
IPA: Hanoi [ʔɓaː˧˧ hon˨˩ ʔɓaj˧˩ viə˧˦]; Saigon [ʔɓaː˧˧ hoŋ˨˩ ʔɓa(ː)j˨˩˦ viə˦˥]. Tones: ba — level tone (ngang), hồn — falling tone (huyền), bảy — dipping tone (hỏi), vía — rising tone (sắc).