can

Level ≈B2 (approx.) nounverb Sino-Vietnamese Top 5,000 most common

Hanoi [kaːn˧˧]Huế [kaːŋ˧˧]Saigon [kaːŋ˧˧] browser voice

Syllables · tones

canlevelngang

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

can means walking stick.

Chinese characters: 肝 Classifier: cây, cái — e.g. một cây can (one walking stick)

Meanings of can in English

Noun

walking stick

Noun

liver

Verb

to concern; to apply to
to be involved (in); to be implicated (in)

Verb

to dissuade (someone from doing something); to intervene

Verb

to join; to unite; to sew together

Verb

to trace (through translucent paper), to do tracing

Noun

abbreviation ellipsis of Thiên Can (“celestial stem”)

Words with can

can đảm can trường tâm can can chi Thiên Can bị can can gián can ngăn can thiệp liên can vô can giấy can can qua

Example sentences with can

Rau bina giàu chất sắt và can-xi. Spinach is a rich source of iron and calcium.

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

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 肝.

Frequently asked questions

What does can mean in English?

can (noun) means "walking stick".

How do you pronounce can?

IPA: Hanoi [kaːn˧˧]; Saigon [kaːŋ˧˧]. Tones: can — level tone (ngang).

Is can a Sino-Vietnamese word?

Yes. can is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 肝.

What classifier is used with can?

Common classifiers: cây, cái — for example "một cây can" (one walking stick).

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.