cay
Hanoi [kaj˧˧]Huế [kaj˧˧]Saigon [ka(ː)j˧˧] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
cay means burning.
Meanings of cay in English
Adjective
- burning — spicy (provoking a burning sensation due to the presence of capsaicin)
- có vị cayspicy
- burning — pungent (having a strong odor that stings the nose)
- có mùi caysmells like pepper
- of sensation burning; intense; inflaming
- cay mắtburning, stinging and/or tearing eyes
- colloquial, figurative bitter (cynical and resentful)
- thua caya bitter defeat
Noun
- the tang of a blade, knife, or sickle, which is inserted into a haft
- dao bị lỏng caythe blade's tang is loose
Words with cay
Idioms and sayings with cay
- gừng càng già càng cay — the older a person is, the wiser they are; a person is more and more experienced as they age
Example sentences with cay
- Đừng làm cho nó quá cay. Don't make it too spicy.
- Tôi không thích ăn đồ cay. I don't like eating spicy food.
- Nước sốt cay khiến lưỡi tôi tê tê. The dip burned my tongue.
- Tôi không ăn đồ cay. I don't eat spicy food.
- Nó có cay không? Is it spicy?
- Nước sốt quá cay! The sauce is extremely spicy!
- Nước sốt quá cay khiến đầu lưỡi tôi tê tê. The dip was so hot, it burned my tongue.
- Tôi muốn ăn một chút đồ ăn không cay của Hàn. I want to eat some Korean food that isn't hot and spicy.
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, cay could be written as 咳, 荄, 𠹽, 𡀲. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
Cognate with Tho [Cuối Chăm] kal¹.
Frequently asked questions
What does cay mean in English?
cay (adjective) means "burning".
How do you pronounce cay?
IPA: Hanoi [kaj˧˧]; Saigon [ka(ː)j˧˧]. Tones: cay — level tone (ngang).