chỉ
Hanoi [t͡ɕi˧˩]Huế [t͡ɕɪj˧˨]Saigon [cɪj˨˩˦] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
chỉ means only; to point; thread.
Chinese characters: 只
Meanings of chỉ in English
Adverb
- only
Verb
- to point ≈ trỏ
Noun
- thread
- obsolete weft; woof
Noun
- chiefly gold or silver trading a weight unit equal to 3.75 grams
Noun
- trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata)
Noun
- abbreviation, colloquial clipping of tín chỉ (“college credit”)
Pronoun
- Southern Vietnam she; her
Combining form
- reduplicant of chăm, only used in chăm chỉ
Words with chỉ
Synonyms and antonyms of chỉ
Antonyms
Example sentences with chỉ
- Chỉ có sự thật là tốt đẹp. Nothing is beautiful but the truth.
- Tôi chỉ đến đó có một lần. I only went there once.
- Tàu hỏa này chỉ có ba toa. This train only has three coaches.
- Điều đó chỉ là một giấc mơ. It's only a dream.
- Tôi chỉ sử dụng nó một lần. I only used it once.
- Chỉ có một cái ghế còn lại. There's just one chair left.
- Anh ta chỉ gặp may mà thôi. He's just lucky.
- Nó chỉ là đứa trẻ bảy tuổi. She is just a seven year old girl.
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, chỉ could be written as 帋, 黹, 紙, 䊼. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
From Proto-Vietic *cis (“thread”), from Proto-Mon-Khmer *ks(i)ʔ or *ksih (“string; cord; rope; thread”) (Shorto 2006, #246). Compare North Central Vietnamese chỉn, Muong chỉl, Khmer ខ្សែ (khsae).
Frequently asked questions
What does chỉ mean in English?
chỉ (adverb) means "only; to point; thread".
How do you pronounce chỉ?
IPA: Hanoi [t͡ɕi˧˩]; Saigon [cɪj˨˩˦]. Tones: chỉ — dipping tone (hỏi).
Is chỉ a Sino-Vietnamese word?
Yes. chỉ is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 只.