giái

adjectiveadverbpreposition

Hanoi [zaːj˧˦]Huế [jaːj˨˩˦]Saigon [jaːj˦˥] browser voice

Syllables · tones

giáirisingsắc

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

giái means left; reverse.

Also spelled trái — same word, same meaning.

Meanings of giái in English

Adjective

with bên left (side, direction) ≈ tả chiêu
- bên tráion the left
- Rẽ/Quẹo (tay) trái.Turn left.
reverse (side) ≈ sau
- mặt trái của tấm vảithe reverse of a piece of cloth
rare morally wrong, unreasonable, illogical
- phân rõ phải trái, đúng saito distinguish between right and wrong

Adverb

inside out ≈ ngược
- Lộn trái quần áo để phơi.Turn the clothes inside out and hang them out to dry.

Preposition

contrary to, despite
- nắng trái tiếtunseasonably sunny
- trái nghĩaantonymous
- trái với quan niệm thông thườngcontrary to popular belief

Noun

Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam piece of fruit ≈ trái cây quả
- ăn trái (cây)to eat fruit
informal land mine ≈ mìn
- gài tráito place land mines

Classifier

Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam Refers to anything round, such as a piece of fruit. ≈ quả
- trái chôm chômrambutan
- trái lựu đạngrenade
- trái núimountain

Noun

smallpox ≈ đậu mùa
- lên tráito come down with smallpox

Synonyms and antonyms of giái

Antonyms

phải trước chính

Etymology

See trái for the etymology, see giai for the sound change. This is the form from the inland dialects, with the form lái presented in the coastal areas (see lái tim). Displaced by quả some time before the colonial period, probably partly due to the homophony with dái (“testicles”).

Frequently asked questions

What does giái mean in English?

giái (adjective) means "left; reverse".

How do you pronounce giái?

IPA: Hanoi [zaːj˧˦]; Saigon [jaːj˦˥]. Tones: giái — rising tone (sắc).

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited. 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.