cày
nounverb
Hanoi [kaj˨˩]Huế [kaj˦˩]Saigon [ka(ː)j˨˩] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
cày means plough.
Classifier: cái — e.g. một cái cày (one plough)
Meanings of cày in English
Noun
- plough
Verb
- to plough
- figurative to toil
- colloquial to binge through
Words with cày
Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)
Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, cày could be written as 𦓿, 其. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
From Proto-Vietic *gal (“to plough; a plough”), from Proto-Chamic (compare Eastern Cham ꨤꨋꩊ (langal), ꨤꨪꨋꩊ (lingal, “plough”)) (Ferlus) or from Proto-Mon-Khmer *lngal ~ *ŋgal (“plough”) (Shorto).
Frequently asked questions
What does cày mean in English?
cày (noun) means "plough".
How do you pronounce cày?
IPA: Hanoi [kaj˨˩]; Saigon [ka(ː)j˨˩]. Tones: cày — falling tone (huyền).
What classifier is used with cày?
Common classifiers: cái — for example "một cái cày" (one plough).