chí

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

Hanoi [t͡ɕi˧˦]Huế [t͡ɕɪj˨˩˦]Saigon [cɪj˦˥] browser voice

Syllables · tones

chírisingsắc

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

chí means will; resolve; volition.

Chinese characters: 志

Meanings of chí in English

Noun

will; resolve; volition; determination
- Có chí thì nên.If you have resolve, then you will succeed.

Noun

Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam head louse
- Có chí thì gãi.If you have head lice, then scratch (your head).

Preposition

in set expressions to; until

Noun

publication; record

Verb

in compounds to arrive; to reach

Adverb

in compounds most; extremely

Words with chí

Example sentences with chí

Phúc bất trùng lai, họa vô đơn chí. When it rains, it pours.

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, chí could be written as 蛭. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 志.

Frequently asked questions

What does chí mean in English?

chí (noun) means "will; resolve; volition".

How do you pronounce chí?

IPA: Hanoi [t͡ɕi˧˦]; Saigon [cɪj˦˥]. Tones: chí — rising tone (sắc).

Is chí a Sino-Vietnamese word?

Yes. chí is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 志.

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.