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lẽ phải

Level ≈B2 (approx.) noun Top 5,000 most common
Hanoi [lɛ˦ˀ˥ faːj˧˩]Huế [lɛ˧˨ faːj˧˨]Saigon [lɛ˨˩˦ faːj˨˩˦] browser voice
Syllables · tones
lẽcreaky risingngãphảidippinghỏi

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

lẽ phải means the right thing.

Meanings of lẽ phải in English

Noun

  1. the right thing; what is considered rational and reasonable

Example sentences with lẽ phải

  • Bạn đáng lẽ phải gọi cho tôi. You should've phoned me.
  • Tôi đáng lẽ phải ăn cơm. I should eat rice.
  • Cô ấy đáng lẽ phải cẩn thận hơn. She should have been more careful.

Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).

Etymology

lẽ + phải.

Frequently asked questions

What does lẽ phải mean in English?

lẽ phải (noun) means "the right thing".

How do you pronounce lẽ phải?

IPA: Hanoi [lɛ˦ˀ˥ faːj˧˩]; Saigon [lɛ˨˩˦ faːj˨˩˦]. Tones: lẽ — creaky rising tone (ngã), phải — 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.