làm
Hanoi [laːm˨˩]Huế [laːm˦˩]Saigon [laːm˨˩] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
làm means to do; to make; to work.
Meanings of làm in English
Verb
- to do
- làm bài tậpto do exercises; to do homework
- to make
- làm nhàto build a house
- to work
- đi làmto go to work
- làm nhà nướcto work for the government
- làm tư nhânto work for a private company
- to act
- làm như không quen biếtto act as if they do not know each other.
- to be, to become, to act as, to serve as, to behave as
- Làm người ai làm thế!What kind of person are you!?
- Lớn lên con muốn làm bác sĩ.When I grow up, I want to become a doctor.
- Ông/Bà làm cha/mẹ mà chẳng làm gương cho con.You're not a good example for your kid(s) as a father/mother.
- colloquial to have a food or drink; to consume
- Làm ngụm nước cho đỡ khát!Take a gulp of water to feel less thirsty!
- Làm miếng bánh cho đỡ đói!Have a slice of cake to feel less hungry!
Preposition
- into
- phân chia kiến thức làm nhiều mảng riêng để dễ tiếp thuto break one's knowledge down into separate parts for easy learning.
Words with làm
Idioms and sayings with làm
- anh chột làm vua xứ mù — a mediocre person without any special qualities who stands out only because they are surrounded by people worse than them; in the land of the blind, the one-eye
- quýt làm cam chịu — having to bear the blame for something one did not do
- thằng chột làm vua xứ mù — synonym of anh chột làm vua xứ mù (“in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king”)
Synonyms and antonyms of làm
Synonyms
Example sentences with làm
- bạn làm gì ở đây thế ? What are you doing here?
- Có việc gì ở đó để làm? What's there to do?
- Xin lỗi vì đã làm bạn sợ. I'm sorry I frightened you.
- Tôi đã chọn cô ấy làm vợ. I've chosen her to be my wife.
- Bạn cần bác sĩ để làm gì? What do you need a doctor for?
- Tom đã làm mất cái gì đó. Tom has lost something.
- Làm bài tập về nhà đi đã. Do your homework first.
- Cái hộp đó được làm từ gỗ. The box is made of wood.
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, làm could be written as 𫜵, 𪵯, 𬈋, 濫. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
A doublet of là (“to be; to work”); see there for more. The -m "suffix" is of unknown function and origin. This is an innovation in Vietnamese, not found in Mường and other Vietic languages.
Frequently asked questions
What does làm mean in English?
làm (verb) means "to do; to make; to work".
How do you pronounce làm?
IPA: Hanoi [laːm˨˩]; Saigon [laːm˨˩]. Tones: làm — falling tone (huyền).