cán
nounverb Sino-Vietnamese Top 5,000 most common
Hanoi [kaːn˧˦]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 →
cán means handle; grip; staff.
Meanings of cán in English
Noun
- handle; grip; staff; lever (especially of a tool)
Verb
- to flatten; to crush (especially with rolling cylindrical objects)
- figurative to run over (with a vehicle)
- ...bị xe cán....got run over by a car.
Words with cán
Example sentences with cán
- Xe cứu thương mất lái và suýt nữa cán phải một người đi bộ. The ambulance went out of control and came close to running over a pedestrian.
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, cán could be written as 桿. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
Sino-Vietnamese word from 擀.
Frequently asked questions
What does cán mean in English?
cán (noun) means "handle; grip; staff".
How do you pronounce cán?
IPA: Hanoi [kaːn˧˦]; Saigon [kaːŋ˦˥]. Tones: cán — rising tone (sắc).
Is cán a Sino-Vietnamese word?
Yes. cán is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 擀.
What classifier is used with cán?
Common classifiers: cây, cái — for example "một cây cán" (one handle).