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kìa

Level ≈A2 (approx.) pronouninterjection Top 1,000 most common
Hanoi [kiə˨˩]Huế [kiə˦˩]Saigon [kiə˨˩] browser voice
Syllables · tones
kìafallinghuyền

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

kìa means there; over there.

Meanings of kìa in English

Pronoun

  1. colloquial there (farther than “kia” but still visible); over there
    • hôm kìathree days ago
    • ngày kìathree days later
    • năm kìathree years ago

Interjection

  1. colloquial Exclamation used before an appeasing remark, often in response to a previous uncaring expression that displeased the other person in a conversation; or, used to express disapproval.
    • Kìa em! Anh trêu có một tí mà cũng dỗi.Hey now dear! I was just kidding around, why do you have to get sullen all of a sudden?
    • Kìa! Sao còn đứng đực ra đó? Bắt tay vào làm ngay đi chứ!Hey! Why still standing there? Get to work immediately!

Example sentences with kìa

  • Chris, bạn bị ướt hết rồi kìa! Chris, you're completely wet!
  • Điện thoại của bạn đang reo kìa. Your phone is ringing.
  • Ở kia còn chỗ ngồi kìa. There's an empty seat over there.
  • Bạn đội mũ ngược rồi kìa. You have your hat on backwards.
  • Pháo hoa đang bắt đầu kìa. The fireworks are starting.
  • Nhanh lên. Nhìn bên ngoài kìa! Quick. Look outside!
  • Bạn đang mặc ngược cái áo len kìa. Your sweater is on backwards.
  • Ô kìa, con bươm bướm! Oh, there's a butterfly!

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, kìa could be written as 其. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 其 (“that; those”, SV: kì). Doublet of kia.

Frequently asked questions

What does kìa mean in English?

kìa (pronoun) means "there; over there".

How do you pronounce kìa?

IPA: Hanoi [kiə˨˩]; Saigon [kiə˨˩]. Tones: kìa — falling tone (huyền).

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.