cá đao

noun

Hanoi [kaː˧˦ ʔɗaːw˧˧]Huế [kaː˨˩˦ ʔɗaːw˧˧]Saigon [kaː˦˥ ʔɗaːw˧˧] browser voice

Syllables · tones

cárisingsắc đaolevelngang

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

cá đao means swordfish; sawfish.

Classifier: con — e.g. một con cá đao (one swordfish)

Meanings of cá đao in English

Noun

swordfish ≈ cá kiếm
sawfish
wolf herring
certain species of cutlassfish (esp. Trichiurus lepturus) ≈ cá hố

Etymology

From cá (“fish”) + đao (“blade”). Sense 1 and 2 allude to these fishes' large and distinctive appendages that resemble a blade. Sense 3 and 4 stem from the fact that these fishes' bauplans are slender and elongated, much like a blade.

Frequently asked questions

What does cá đao mean in English?

cá đao (noun) means "swordfish; sawfish".

How do you pronounce cá đao?

IPA: Hanoi [kaː˧˦ ʔɗaːw˧˧]; Saigon [kaː˦˥ ʔɗaːw˧˧]. Tones: cá — rising tone (sắc), đao — level tone (ngang).

What classifier is used with cá đao?

Common classifiers: con — for example "một con cá đao" (one swordfish).

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited. IPA shown for three accents: Hanoi (Northern), Huế (Central) and Saigon (Southern). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice, for reference only. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.