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lệ

Level ≈B2 (approx.) nounverb Sino-Vietnamese Top 3,000 most common
Hanoi [le˧˨ʔ]Huế [lej˨˩ʔ]Saigon [lej˨˩˨] browser voice
Syllables · tones
lệheavynặng

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

lệ means tears.

Chinese characters: 淚

Meanings of lệ in English

Noun

  1. literary tears (drop of clear salty liquid from the eyes) ≈ nước mắt
    • giọt lệa tear(drop)

Noun

  1. literary, in certain idioms rule
    • phép vua thua lệ làngeven the monarch's laws lose to the village's rules
    • Làng có lệ ấy từ xưa.The village has had that rule since ancient times.
  2. rare example ≈ ví dụ
    • lệ nhưfor example

Verb

  1. archaic to fear; to be afraid

Words with lệ

chiếu lệđiều lệhợp lệlấy lệlệ phíluật lệngoại lệthể lệthường lệtục lệước lệe lệlệ ngoạilệ thuộclệ thưlệ đạo

Example sentences with lệ

  • Tom đã rơi lệ. Tom cried.
  • Mắt Mary ngấn lệ. Tears filled Mary's eyes.

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

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 淚. Compare luỵ.

Frequently asked questions

What does lệ mean in English?

lệ (noun) means "tears".

How do you pronounce lệ?

IPA: Hanoi [le˧˨ʔ]; Saigon [lej˨˩˨]. Tones: lệ — heavy tone (nặng).

Is lệ a Sino-Vietnamese word?

Yes. lệ is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 淚.

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.