càng
Hanoi [kaːŋ˨˩]Huế [kaːŋ˦˩]Saigon [kaːŋ˨˩] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
càng means all the more; all the less.
Meanings of càng in English
Adverb
- all the more, all the less
- Có gió, lửa càng bốc to.With wind, fire rages all the more.
- With a comparative or verb phrase, establishes a parallel with one or more other such comparatives.
- Bản nhạc này càng nghe càng thấy hay.The song sounds better the more you listen to it.
- khó khăn càng nhiều, quyết tâm càng caoto be more determined the harder it gets
Noun
- nipper, pincer
- large, strong hind leg of a locust, grasshopper, or cricket; its jumping leg
- shaft (one of the handles of a tool, or one of the poles between which an animal is harnessed to a vehicle)
- càng xe bòoxcart shaft
- càng pháolimber
- tay càng của kìm cộng lựcbolt cutter handles
- slang wing mirror (of a motorcycle)
Words with càng
Idioms and sayings with càng
- càng đông càng vui — the more the merrier
- gừng càng già càng cay — the older a person is, the wiser they are; a person is more and more experienced as they age
Example sentences with càng
- Tôi thường đến càng sớm càng tốt. I'll come as often as possible.
- Càng nghe, tôi thấy càng hay. The more I hear, the more interesting it becomes.
- Hoa càng đẹp thì càng có nhiều gai. Beautiful flowers have thorns.
- Đến càng sớm càng tốt. Come as soon as possible.
- Cậu nên làm điều đó càng sớm càng tốt. You'd better do that as soon as possible.
- Tôi muốn đi khỏi đây càng sớm càng tốt. I want to get away from here as soon as possible.
- Cô ấy phải hành động càng sớm càng tốt. She had to act as soon as possible.
- Càng học nhiều toán, tôi càng hiểu ít đi. The more I study math, the less I seem to understand.
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, càng could be written as 彊, 强, 強, 𫋙. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 更 (SV: cánh).
Frequently asked questions
What does càng mean in English?
càng (adverb) means "all the more; all the less".
How do you pronounce càng?
IPA: Hanoi [kaːŋ˨˩]; Saigon [kaːŋ˨˩]. Tones: càng — falling tone (huyền).