dĩa
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
dĩa means a plate; a dish; a saucer.
Meanings of dĩa in English
Noun
- Southern Vietnam a plate, a dish, a saucer, etc.
- Southern Vietnam, dated a disc, a disk, etc.
Noun
- Northern Vietnam a fork ≈ nĩa
Words with dĩa
Synonyms and antonyms of dĩa
Synonyms
Example sentences with dĩa
- Cái dĩa bị cong rồi. The fork is bent.
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, dĩa could be written as 𥐦. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Usage note: dĩa
dĩa is a classic regional trap: it means "fork" in the North but "plate" in the South.
- North: dĩa = fork. Cho tôi một cái dĩa. — A fork, please. A plate is đĩa.
- South: dĩa = plate (the Southern pronunciation of đĩa). Một dĩa cơm tấm. — One plate of broken rice. A fork is nĩa.
So in Saigon, Cho em thêm một dĩa brings you another plate; in Hanoi, it brings you a fork.
A Southern restaurant menu often lists dishes by the plate: cơm dĩa — rice served on a plate (a set meal).
Also dĩa = disc in the South (dĩa nhạc — music CD), matching Northern đĩa.
Tip: point while you ask. That avoids the fork–plate confusion entirely.
Etymology
Maybe non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 碟 (“plate; dish; saucer; disc”, SV: điệp). If so, a late loan considering that the Chinese word is not used before Yuan dynasty [1271 - 1398]; compare Hokkien 碟 (ti̍h) & Teochew 碟 (dih⁸). Doublet of đĩa.
Frequently asked questions
What does dĩa mean in English?
dĩa (noun) means "a plate; a dish; a saucer".
How do you pronounce dĩa?
IPA: Hanoi [ziə˦ˀ˥]; Saigon [jiə˨˩˦]. Tones: dĩa — creaky rising tone (ngã).
What classifier is used with dĩa?
Common classifiers: cái — for example "một cái dĩa" (one a plate).