cháu
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
cháu means grandchild; nephew or niece.
Meanings of cháu in English
Noun
- grandchild
- nephew or niece
Pronoun
- Northern Vietnam I/me, your nephew, niece or grandchild ≈ con
- Northern Vietnam you, my nephew, niece or grandchild ≈ con
- Northern Vietnam I/me, someone who's not your child and who's a lot younger than you ≈ con
- Northern Vietnam you, someone who's not my child and who's a lot younger than me ≈ con
- he/him/she/her, the child under my guardianship (my child or grandchild) who we're talking about
Words with cháu
Example sentences with cháu
- Mẹ của cháu có ở nhà không? Is your mother at home?
- Cháu nó lúc đó còn trẻ. She was young.
- Cháu nó còn nhỏ, có khi quá nhỏ. She's young, maybe too young.
- Bổn phận của cháu là phải học tập. It is your duty to study.
- Cháu ấy rất nhỏ tuổi. She is very young.
- Cháu nó rất trẻ. She is very young.
- Nói thiệt nha, nó là cháu gái của tôi đó. To tell the truth, she is my niece.
- Cháu nó còn nhỏ quá không đi bơi một mình được. He is too young to go swimming alone.
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, cháu could be written as 𡥙, 沼, 𫲤, 𫲰. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Usage note: cháu
cháu means grandchild, and also niece or nephew. In conversation it is the word you use for yourself when the other person is old enough to be your uncle, aunt or grandparent.
- To a friend's mother: Cháu chào cô ạ. — Hello.
- To an elderly man: Cháu cảm ơn ông. — Thank you.
- The older person calls you cháu back: Cháu ở nước nào? — Which country are you from?
So cháu pairs with cô, chú, bác, ông and bà. With an anh or chị, you are em instead.
Relationship words: cháu nội = son's child, cháu ngoại = daughter's child; cháu trai / cháu gái specify grandson or granddaughter, nephew or niece.
✗ Saying tôi to your partner's grandmother sounds cold → ✓ Cháu ăn no rồi ạ. — I'm full, thank you.
Etymology
From Proto-Vietic *cuːʔ, from Proto-Austroasiatic *cuʔ (“grandchild”). Cognate with Muong [Bi] chảu (“son-in-law”), Khmer ចៅ (caw), Bahnar sŏu/sâu, Pacoh achau, Khasi 'siew.
Frequently asked questions
What does cháu mean in English?
cháu (noun) means "grandchild; nephew or niece".
How do you pronounce cháu?
IPA: Hanoi [t͡ɕaw˧˦]; Saigon [ca(ː)w˦˥]. Tones: cháu — rising tone (sắc).