hề

Level ≈B2 (approx.) nounverbadverb Top 5,000 most common

Hanoi [he˨˩]Huế [hej˦˩]Saigon [hej˨˩] browser voice

Syllables · tones

hềfallinghuyền

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

hề means fool; clown; jester.

Classifier: chú — e.g. một chú hề (one fool)

Meanings of hề in English

Noun

fool, clown; jester
kind of comic-relief (usually male) character in chèo who acts foolishly; chèo fool

Verb

to matter, to affect, have influence or effect on

Adverb

in the negative at all, absolutely, completely, totally

Words with hề

chú hề chúa hề trò hề chưa hề không hề

Example sentences with hề

Tom cảm giác như thằng hề. Tom felt like a fool.
Tom là một thằng hề, nếu bạn hỏi tôi. Tom is a fool, if you ask me.

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, hề could be written as 𭛭. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 係 (SV: hệ).

Frequently asked questions

What does hề mean in English?

hề (noun) means "fool; clown; jester".

How do you pronounce hề?

IPA: Hanoi [he˨˩]; Saigon [hej˨˩]. Tones: hề — falling tone (huyền).

What classifier is used with hề?

Common classifiers: chú — for example "một chú hề" (one fool).

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. Levels are approximate, estimated from word frequency. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.