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chắc

Level ≈A1 (approx.) adjectiveadverbparticle Top 1,000 most common
Hanoi [t͡ɕak̚˧˦]Huế [t͡ɕak̚˦˧˥]Saigon [cak̚˦˥] browser voice
Syllables · tones
chắcrisingsắc

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

chắc means sure; probably; firm.

Meanings of chắc in English

Adjective

  1. of a structure firm; secure; steady — Able to withstand mechanical force while remaining intact or firmly attached to another object without coming apart. ≈ rắn chắc
  2. of a structure firm; secure; steady — Having full development, forming a solid mass attached to another object without separating.
  3. of a person sure; certain; positive
    • Chắc hông?Are you sure?
    • Chắc mà!I'm certain!

Adverb

  1. after a verb surely; certainly; for sure
    • biết chắcto know for sure
  2. after a verb firmly; securely
    • nắm chắcto have a firm grip
  3. at the start of a clause probably; maybe
    • Chắc nó không đến đâu.I don't think he's coming.
    • Chắc chẳng có ai ở nhà.Maybe nobody's home.

Adverb

  1. Central Vietnam each other, one another ≈ nhau
    • Tụi bay cứ đánh chắc đập chắc hoài!Y'all fight all the time!
  2. Central Vietnam, colloquial only ≈ mình
    • Chắc hấn đi học à?Only them went to school?

Particle

  1. colloquial Marks a rhetorical question, often with an indignant or surprised tone ≈ à
    • Nó tưởng nó ngon lắm chắc?He really thinks he's all that, huh?
    • Tưởng có tiền thì muốn làm gì thì làm chắc?They think they can get away with anything just because they have money?

Verb

  1. to assume

Words with chắc

chắc chắnchắc hẳnchắc nịchrắn chắcchắc bụngchắc dạ

Synonyms and antonyms of chắc

Antonyms

lépóp

Example sentences with chắc

  • Chắc có lẽ trời sắp mưa rồi. It is going to rain.
  • Chắc là hôm nay trời sẽ mưa. It looks like it'll rain today.
  • Chắc Tom sẽ về nhà sớm thôi. Tom is likely to come home soon.
  • Ông ấy chắc phải hơn 50 tuổi. He must be over fifty.
  • Họ không chắc là sẽ làm được. They're not sure that they can do that.
  • Chắc Tom bây giờ đang nhớ Mary. Tom might be missing Mary now.
  • Tôi thực sự cũng không chắc nữa. I'm really not sure.
  • Thật sự tôi cũng không chắc nữa. I'm really not sure.

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, chắc could be written as 聀, 仄, 𢟘, 職. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

Cognate with Arem cak ("each other").

Frequently asked questions

What does chắc mean in English?

chắc (adjective) means "sure; probably; firm".

How do you pronounce chắc?

IPA: Hanoi [t͡ɕak̚˧˦]; Saigon [cak̚˦˥]. Tones: chắc — rising tone (sắc).

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.