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lẽ ra

Level ≈A1 (approx.) verb Top 1,000 most common
Hanoi [lɛ˦ˀ˥ zaː˧˧]Huế [lɛ˧˨ ʐaː˧˧]Saigon [lɛ˨˩˦ ɹaː˧˧] browser voice
Syllables · tones
lẽcreaky risingngãralevelngang

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

lẽ ra means supposed to.

Meanings of lẽ ra in English

Verb

  1. supposed to; to do something proper in the past instead
    • Lẽ ra bạn nên hỏi tôi trước.You should've asked me in the first place.

Example sentences with lẽ ra

  • Đáng lẽ ra tôi nên ở nhà. I should've stayed home.
  • Lẽ ra tôi nên đi ngủ sớm. I should have gone to bed early.
  • Tôi lẽ ra nên đi ngủ sớm. I should have gone to bed early.
  • Đáng lẽ ra tôi nên làm gì đó. I should've done something.
  • Lẽ ra tôi nên học chăm chỉ hơn. I should have studied harder.
  • Đáng lẽ ra Tom nên nói sự thật. Tom should have told the truth.
  • Lẽ ra bạn có thể đã bị sát hại. You might have been killed.
  • Lẽ ra bạn nên đến sớm hơn một chút. You should have come a little earlier.

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

Etymology

lẽ + ra.

Frequently asked questions

What does lẽ ra mean in English?

lẽ ra (verb) means "supposed to".

How do you pronounce lẽ ra?

IPA: Hanoi [lɛ˦ˀ˥ zaː˧˧]; Saigon [lɛ˨˩˦ ɹaː˧˧]. Tones: lẽ — creaky rising tone (ngã), ra — level tone (ngang).

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.