TuDien.NgonNguViet.comVietnamese ⇄ English dictionary

chơi chữ

nounverb
Hanoi [t͡ɕəːj˧˧ t͡ɕɨ˦ˀ˥]Huế [t͡ɕəːj˧˧ t͡ɕɨ˧˨]Saigon [cəːj˧˧ cɨ˨˩˦] browser voice
Syllables · tones
chơilevelngangchữcreaky risingngã

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

chơi chữ means wordplay.

Meanings of chơi chữ in English

Noun

  1. wordplay

Verb

  1. to play on words; to make wordplay; to skillfully make puns

Example sentences with chơi chữ

  • Đó là một cách chơi chữ. This is a pun.

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

Etymology

chơi (“to play”) + chữ (“script; word”).

Frequently asked questions

What does chơi chữ mean in English?

chơi chữ (noun) means "wordplay".

How do you pronounce chơi chữ?

IPA: Hanoi [t͡ɕəːj˧˧ t͡ɕɨ˦ˀ˥]; Saigon [cəːj˧˧ cɨ˨˩˦]. Tones: chơi — level tone (ngang), chữ — creaky rising tone (ngã).

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. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.