giam

verb Sino-Vietnamese

Hanoi [zaːm˧˧]Huế [jaːm˧˧]Saigon [jaːm˧˧] browser voice

Syllables · tones

giamlevelngang

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

giam means to detain; to imprison.

Chinese characters: 監

Meanings of giam in English

Verb

to detain, to imprison

Words with giam

giam cầm nhà giam

Example sentences with giam

Thẩm phán đã tuyên Tom ba tháng tù giam. The judge sentenced Tom to three months in prison.

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, giam could be written as 𫽝. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 監.

Frequently asked questions

What does giam mean in English?

giam (verb) means "to detain; to imprison".

How do you pronounce giam?

IPA: Hanoi [zaːm˧˧]; Saigon [jaːm˧˧]. Tones: giam — level tone (ngang).

Is giam a Sino-Vietnamese word?

Yes. giam is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 監.

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.