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hoạn nạn

Level ≈B2 (approx.) noun Sino-Vietnamese Top 5,000 most common
Hanoi [hwaːn˧˨ʔ naːn˧˨ʔ]Huế [hwaːŋ˨˩ʔ naːŋ˨˩ʔ]Saigon [waːŋ˨˩˨ naːŋ˨˩˨] browser voice
Syllables · tones
hoạnheavynặngnạnheavynặng

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

hoạn nạn means calamity; misfortune; disaster.

Chinese characters: 患難 Classifier: cơn — e.g. một cơn hoạn nạn (one calamity)

Meanings of hoạn nạn in English

Noun

  1. calamity; misfortune; disaster
    • giúp đỡ ai trong cơn hoạn nạnto assist someone in misfortune
    • bỏ rơi ai trong cơn hoạn nạnto leave someone in the lurch

Example sentences with hoạn nạn

  • Trong hoạn nạn mới biết bạn là ai. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 患難, composed of 患 and 難.

Frequently asked questions

What does hoạn nạn mean in English?

hoạn nạn (noun) means "calamity; misfortune; disaster".

How do you pronounce hoạn nạn?

IPA: Hanoi [hwaːn˧˨ʔ naːn˧˨ʔ]; Saigon [waːŋ˨˩˨ naːŋ˨˩˨]. Tones: hoạn — heavy tone (nặng), nạn — heavy tone (nặng).

Is hoạn nạn a Sino-Vietnamese word?

Yes. hoạn nạn is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 患難.

What classifier is used with hoạn nạn?

Common classifiers: cơn — for example "một cơn hoạn nạn" (one calamity).

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.