kể

Level ≈A2 (approx.) verb Top 1,000 most common

Hanoi [ke˧˩]Huế [kej˧˨]Saigon [kej˨˩˦] browser voice

Syllables · tones

kểdippinghỏi

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

kể means to tell.

Meanings of kể in English

Verb

to tell

Words with kể

bất kể đáng kể kể cả kể lại kể lể kể ra vô kể kể từ

Example sentences with kể

Tôi biết ơn không sao kể hết. I can't tell you how grateful I am.
Tôi muốn kể về tình yêu của tôi. I want to speak about my love.
Hãy kể cho tôi một câu chuyện ma. Please tell me a ghost story.
Anh kể tôi nghe chuyện đời của mình. He told me his life's story.
Tom không hay kể chuyện gia đình mình. Tom doesn't talk much about his family.
Câu truyện này được kể bằng tiếng Pháp. That story is in French.
Thể hiện, đừng chỉ kể. Show, don't tell.
Hãy kể, đừng thể hiện. Tell, don't show.

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, kể could be written as 𠸥, 𧦕. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 計 (SV: kế).

Frequently asked questions

What does kể mean in English?

kể (verb) means "to tell".

How do you pronounce kể?

IPA: Hanoi [ke˧˩]; Saigon [kej˨˩˦]. Tones: kể — dipping tone (hỏi).

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.