chắp vá

adjectiveverb

Hanoi [t͡ɕap̚˧˦ vaː˧˦]Huế [t͡ɕap̚˦˧˥ vaː˨˩˦]Saigon [cap̚˦˥ vaː˦˥] browser voice

Syllables · tones

chắprisingsắc várisingsắc

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

chắp vá means motley; patchy; fragmentary.

Meanings of chắp vá in English

Adjective

motley; patchy; fragmentary; unsystematic

Verb

to patch; to cobble; to patch up

Example sentences with chắp vá

Nhìn từ máy bay, quang cảnh chỉ có những mảnh ruộng chắp vá với nhau. From the plane, the landscape was just a patchwork of fields.

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, chắp vá could be written as 𢴇𦀪. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

chắp (“to join”) + vá (“to mend”).

Frequently asked questions

What does chắp vá mean in English?

chắp vá (adjective) means "motley; patchy; fragmentary".

How do you pronounce chắp vá?

IPA: Hanoi [t͡ɕap̚˧˦ vaː˧˦]; Saigon [cap̚˦˥ vaː˦˥]. Tones: chắp — rising tone (sắc), vá — 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. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.