cài

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

Hanoi [kaːj˨˩]Huế [kaːj˦˩]Saigon [kaːj˨˩] browser voice

Syllables · tones

càifallinghuyền

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

cài means to pin; to fasten.

Meanings of cài in English

Verb

to pin; to fasten
- cài huy hiệu lên áoto put a badge on one's shirt
- trâm cài tóca hairpin
abbreviation short for cài đặt (“to install”)

Words with cài

cài áo cài đặt

Example sentences with cài

Linux được cài vào máy tính của tôi. Linux is installed on my computer.
Cài Linux đi! Install Linux!

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, cài could be written as 掑. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

Cognate with Chut [Mày] kal² (Babaev & Samarina, 2018). See also gài, the form with lenited initial.

Frequently asked questions

What does cài mean in English?

cài (verb) means "to pin; to fasten".

How do you pronounce cài?

IPA: Hanoi [kaːj˨˩]; Saigon [kaːj˨˩]. Tones: cài — falling tone (huyền).

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.