hay
Hanoi [haj˧˧]Huế [haj˧˧]Saigon [ha(ː)j˧˧] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
hay means or; often; good, interesting.
Meanings of hay in English
Conjunction
- or
- Chọn cái này, hay chọn cái kiaChoose this one, or choose that one
Adverb
- well
Adverb
- often, habitually
- Con hay nói nhiều lắm.You, child, are talkative.
Adjective
- good, as in useful, inventive, interesting or entertaining; compare tốt (good as in high-quality, skillful or ethical)
- ý haya good idea
- Phim hay quá ha !That was a great movie!
Adjective
- obsolete able, capable
Verb
- archaic, literary to know; to get to know; to learn
- auxiliary, obsolete can, could, may, might
Words with hay
Synonyms and antonyms of hay
Antonyms
Example sentences with hay
- Đó quả là một bộ phim hay. That's such a good film.
- Dạo này tôi hay bị mất ngủ. I haven't been getting enough sleep lately.
- Anh ấy hay tạt qua chỗ tôi. He usually drops in at my place.
- Câu ví dụ hay thật đấy nhỉ? The example sentence was splendid, wasn't it?
- Tôi hay đi học bằng xe buýt. I usually go to school by bus.
- Người Hy Lạp cũng hay ăn cá. The Greeks also eat fish often.
- Bạn có hay mặc áo len không? Do you often wear sweaters?
- Cô ấy rất hay chơi thể thao. She plays a lot of sports.
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, hay could be written as 咍, 𫨩, 台, 能. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
Cognate with Arem hɪː ("to understand").
Frequently asked questions
What does hay mean in English?
hay (conjunction) means "or; often; good, interesting".
How do you pronounce hay?
IPA: Hanoi [haj˧˧]; Saigon [ha(ː)j˧˧]. Tones: hay — level tone (ngang).