khiên

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

Hanoi [xiən˧˧]Huế [kʰiəŋ˧˧]Saigon [kʰiəŋ˧˧] browser voice

Syllables · tones

khiênlevelngang

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

khiên means shield.

Classifier: cái, tấm — e.g. một cái khiên (one shield)

Meanings of khiên in English

Noun

shield

Words with khiên

khiên cưỡng

Example sentences with khiên

Anh ấy đã mua một cái kiếm và một cái khiên. He bought a shield and a sword.

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, khiên could be written as 牵, 牽. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

Borrowed from Tai (compare Thai เขน (kěen, “round shield”)) or Eastern Cham khil / khél (“shield”), both from Khmer ខែល (khael, “shield”).

Frequently asked questions

What does khiên mean in English?

khiên (noun) means "shield".

How do you pronounce khiên?

IPA: Hanoi [xiən˧˧]; Saigon [kʰiəŋ˧˧]. Tones: khiên — level tone (ngang).

What classifier is used with khiên?

Common classifiers: cái, tấm — for example "một cái khiên" (one shield).

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.