cầu sung vừa đủ xài
phrase
Hanoi [kəw˨˩ sʊwŋ͡m˧˧ vɨə˨˩ ʔɗu˧˩ saːj˨˩]Huế [kəw˦˩ ʂʊwŋ͡m˧˧ vɨə˦˩ ʔɗʊw˧˨ saːj˦˩]Saigon [kəw˨˩ ʂʊwŋ͡m˧˧ vɨə˨˩ ʔɗʊw˨˩˦ saːj˨˩] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
Meanings of cầu sung vừa đủ xài in English
Phrase
- Southern Vietnam to offer certain fruits during Tết as a way to wish for fortune
Etymology
Based on the words for five types of fruits: mãng cầu (“sugar apple”), sung (“fig”), dừa (“coconut”), đu đủ (“papaya”), xoài (“mango”)), with phono-semantic matching with sung (充) (as in sung túc) and xài (“to use, to spend”); roughly "having enough wealth for a comfortable life".
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce cầu sung vừa đủ xài?
IPA: Hanoi [kəw˨˩ sʊwŋ͡m˧˧ vɨə˨˩ ʔɗu˧˩ saːj˨˩]; Saigon [kəw˨˩ ʂʊwŋ͡m˧˧ vɨə˨˩ ʔɗʊw˨˩˦ saːj˨˩]. Tones: cầu — falling tone (huyền), sung — level tone (ngang), vừa — falling tone (huyền), đủ — dipping tone (hỏi), xài — falling tone (huyền).