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cãi

Level ≈B1 (approx.) verb Top 3,000 most common
Hanoi [kaːj˦ˀ˥]Huế [kaːj˧˨]Saigon [kaːj˨˩˦] browser voice
Syllables · tones
cãicreaky risingngã

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

cãi means to answer back; to talk back; to argue.

Meanings of cãi in English

Verb

  1. to answer back; to talk back; to argue
    • cãi nhauto quarrel
    • Cãi nhau với trọng tài thì chẳng có ích gì.It's no use having an argument with the referee.
    • Họ luôn luôn cãi nhau về tiền bạc.They always quarrel (with each other) about money.
  2. to defend (a client)

Words with cãi

bàn cãicãi cọcãi vãchối cãithầy cãitranh cãicãi lộn

Example sentences with cãi

  • Bố mẹ tôi lại đang cãi nhau. My parents are arguing again.
  • Thiếu niên thường cãi lại cha mẹ. Teenagers often argue with their parents.
  • Chúng tôi đã cãi nhau suốt. We argued the whole time.
  • Chúng tôi từng cãi nhau. We used to fight.
  • Hôm qua tôi đã cãi nhau với anh trai. I had a fight with my older brother yesterday.
  • Tôi không muốn cãi nhau với Tom thêm nữa. I don't want to fight anymore with Tom.
  • Cặp vợ chồng nhà kế bên luôn luôn cãi nhau. The couple next door are always arguing.
  • Nó cảm thấy mệt lử sau khi cãi nhau với bạn. She felt quite worn out after arguing with friends.

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, cãi could be written as 𠴜, 𠳚, 𠲹, 改. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Frequently asked questions

What does cãi mean in English?

cãi (verb) means "to answer back; to talk back; to argue".

How do you pronounce cãi?

IPA: Hanoi [kaːj˦ˀ˥]; Saigon [kaːj˨˩˦]. Tones: cãi — creaky rising tone (ngã).

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.