bức
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
bức means (classifier for pictures, letters, walls).
Meanings of bức in English
Classifier
- indicates walls, barriers, handwritten letters, drawings, paintings, photographs, sculptures or statues
Verb
- force, coerce
Words with bức
Example sentences with bức
- Cô ấy đã đọc xong bức thư. She finished reading the letter.
- Bạn tự chụp bức ảnh này à? Did you take this picture yourself?
- Cô ấy viết tay bức thư này. She wrote the letter in her own hand.
- Đây là bức thư dành cho bạn. Here is your letter.
- Đó là một bức tranh rất đẹp. That's a very beautiful painting.
- Ông ấy đang vẽ một bức tranh. He is drawing a picture.
- Cô ấy đã sơn trắng bức tường. She painted the walls white.
- Bạn chụp bức ảnh này lúc nào? When did you take this photo?
Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).
Usage note: bức
bức is the classifier for things that are flat and upright, or that "present" an image or message:
- một bức tranh — a painting
- bức ảnh này — this photo (also tấm ảnh)
- bức thư — a letter
- bức tường — a wall; bức tượng — a statue
Example: Ai vẽ bức tranh này? — Who painted this picture?
A letter is bức thư or lá thư; both are natural. A photo can be bức ảnh or tấm ảnh; tấm is slightly more common in speech.
bức also means "stuffy, sultry" in oi bức: Trời hôm nay oi bức quá. — It's so muggy today. And in bức xúc — frustrated, upset about something unfair, a very common word on Vietnamese social media.
Etymology
Sino-Vietnamese word from 逼 (“force”).
Frequently asked questions
What does bức mean in English?
bức (classifier) means "(classifier for pictures, letters, walls)".
How do you pronounce bức?
IPA: Hanoi [ʔɓɨk̚˧˦]; Saigon [ʔɓɨk̚˦˥]. Tones: bức — rising tone (sắc).
Is bức a Sino-Vietnamese word?
Yes. bức is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 逼.