lẻ
adjectiveadverb
Hanoi [lɛ˧˩]Huế [lɛ˧˨]Saigon [lɛ˨˩˦] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
lẻ means odd; freakish.
Meanings of lẻ in English
Adjective
- odd (not divisible by two)
- số lẻan odd number
- hàm số lẻan odd function
- informal, of a number freakish (i.e., an irrational number or a repeating decimal)
- Không được rồi cô ơi. Em chia ra số lẻ lắm.It's not good ma'am. I got a very freakish result from the division.
- of a banknote of a low value less than or equal to 20,000 dongs
- tiền lẻchange
- Southern Vietnam Signifies the "zero(s)" in numbers such as 805 and 2001. ≈ linh
- một trăm lẻ ba103 [i.e. one hundred and three]
- hai ngàn không trăm lẻ một2001 [i.e. two thousand and one]
Adverb
- informal alone rather than with other people
- Thằng khỉ! Hôm qua mày đánh lẻ hả?Hey bastard! Did you go without us yesterday?
- of selling or buying unwholly, for example, when buying a few cigarettes rather than a whole pack
- cửa hàng bán lẻa retail store
Words with lẻ
Synonyms and antonyms of lẻ
Antonyms
Example sentences with lẻ
- Bạn có thể vui lòng nối tôi đến số máy lẻ 5678 được không? Can you put me through to extension 5678 please?
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, lẻ could be written as 礼, 禮, 𥛭. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Usage note: lẻ
lẻ means "odd (number), single, loose", and in the South it is the zero in numbers like 101 (North: linh).
- Numbers (South): một trăm lẻ một — 101; hai trăm lẻ năm — 205
- Small change: tiền lẻ — small notes, change: Anh có tiền lẻ không? — Do you have any small notes?
- Odd number: số lẻ — odd number; số chẵn — even number
- Single, individual: bán lẻ — retail; đi lẻ — go separately, alone (not with a group)
Practical: small vendors and motorbike drivers often have no change for large notes. Carrying tiền lẻ saves trouble.
Different tone: lễ = ceremony, holiday (ngày lễ).
Etymology
From Proto-Vietic *lɛh.
Frequently asked questions
What does lẻ mean in English?
lẻ (adjective) means "odd; freakish".
How do you pronounce lẻ?
IPA: Hanoi [lɛ˧˩]; Saigon [lɛ˨˩˦]. Tones: lẻ — dipping tone (hỏi).