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công an

Level ≈B1 (approx.) noun Sino-Vietnamese Top 3,000 most common
Hanoi [kəwŋ͡m˧˧ ʔaːn˧˧]Huế [kəwŋ͡m˧˧ ʔaːŋ˧˧]Saigon [kəwŋ͡m˧˧ ʔaːŋ˧˧] browser voice
Syllables · tones
cônglevelnganganlevelngang

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

công an means public security; public security officer.

Chinese characters: 公安

Meanings of công an in English

Noun

  1. public security
    • đồn công anpublic security station
  2. colloquial public security (law enforcement) officer
    • nhờ công an chỉ đườngto ask a public security officer for directions

Example sentences with công an

  • Công an đang ở đó. The police are there.
  • Chức năng quan trọng của công an là bắt ăn trộm. An important function of policemen is to catch thieves.

Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 公安.

Frequently asked questions

What does công an mean in English?

công an (noun) means "public security; public security officer".

How do you pronounce công an?

IPA: Hanoi [kəwŋ͡m˧˧ ʔaːn˧˧]; Saigon [kəwŋ͡m˧˧ ʔaːŋ˧˧]. Tones: công — level tone (ngang), an — level tone (ngang).

Is công an a Sino-Vietnamese word?

Yes. công an is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 公安.

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.