bác
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
bác means paternal uncle; father's elder brother.
Meanings of bác in English
Noun
- paternal uncle, father's elder brother
- an older adult; senior; elder
- paternal aunt-in-law, father's elder brother's wife
- archaic father
- bác mẹparents
Pronoun
Verb
- to scramble (eggs, etc.)
Pronoun
- endearing, informal I/me, the old Ho Chi Minh
- endearing, informal you, the old Ho Chi Minh
- endearing, informal he/him, the old Ho Chi Minh ≈ Người
Verb
- in compounds to reject, to dismiss, to refute, to turn down
Words with bác
Synonyms and antonyms of bác
Synonyms
Antonyms
Example sentences with bác
- Bác ấy là họ hàng của tôi. She is my relative.
- Bác tôi đã từng đến Phần Lan. My uncle has been to Finland.
- Người đàn ông này là bác tôi. This man is my uncle.
- Bác có còn đói không ạ? Are you still hungry?
- Bác tôi có 3 người con. My uncle has 3 children.
- Bác ấy lớn tuổi hơn tôi. She's older than me.
- Chị gái của mẹ tôi là bác tôi. My mother's sister is my aunt.
- Bác tôi đã tặng bạn một món quà. My uncle gave you a present.
Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).
Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)
Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, bác could be written as 伯, 博. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Usage note: bác
Who do you call bác? People older than your parents. Strictly it is the word for your parent's older sibling, and in the North it covers both uncles and aunts on that side.
- A neighbour in his sixties: Cháu chào bác ạ. — Hello.
- An elderly street vendor: Bác ơi, bán cho cháu một bó rau. — Could you sell me a bunch of greens?
- The person may call themself bác back: Bác không có tiền lẻ. — I don't have small change.
The partner word is cháu for yourself. Compared with chú or cô, bác shows a step more respect, because it places the person above your parents.
Use ông or bà only when someone is truly of grandparent age; calling a 55-year-old ông may offend.
Also: bác sĩ means doctor. The bác in it is a different word (Sino-Vietnamese "broad, learned"), though Vietnamese often address doctors as bác sĩ directly: Chào bác sĩ.
Etymology
From Late Proto-Vietic *paːk (“uncle, father/mother's older brother”), from Middle Chinese 伯 (MC paek, “uncle”) (SV: bá).
Frequently asked questions
What does bác mean in English?
bác (noun) means "paternal uncle; father's elder brother".
How do you pronounce bác?
IPA: Hanoi [ʔɓaːk̚˧˦]; Saigon [ʔɓaːk̚˦˥]. Tones: bác — rising tone (sắc).
Is bác a Sino-Vietnamese word?
Yes. bác is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 駁.