lài

noun

Hanoi [laːj˨˩]Huế [laːj˦˩]Saigon [laːj˨˩] browser voice

Syllables · tones

làifallinghuyền

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

lài means jasmine.

Classifier: cây, hoa, bông — e.g. một cây lài (one jasmine)

Meanings of lài in English

Noun

Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam jasmine
- trà làijasmine tea

Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)

Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, lài could be written as 萊. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Frequently asked questions

What does lài mean in English?

lài (noun) means "jasmine".

How do you pronounce lài?

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

What classifier is used with lài?

Common classifiers: cây, hoa, bông — for example "một cây lài" (one jasmine).

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited. IPA shown for three accents: Hanoi (Northern), Huế (Central) and Saigon (Southern). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice, for reference only. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.