TuDien.NgonNguViet.comVietnamese ⇄ English dictionary

lịch sự

Level ≈A2 (approx.) adjectiveadverb Sino-Vietnamese Top 3,000 most common
Hanoi [lïk̟̚˧˨ʔ sɨ˧˨ʔ]Huế [lɨt̚˨˩ʔ ʂɨ˨˩ʔ]Saigon [lɨt̚˨˩˨ ʂɨ˨˩˨] browser voice
Syllables · tones

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

lịch sự means civil and polite.

Chinese characters: 歷事 (歷 “to experience” + 事 “things”)

Meanings of lịch sự in English

Adjective

  1. civil and polite

Adverb

  1. civilly and politely ≈ lịch thiệp

Example sentences with lịch sự

  • Người Anh là dân tộc lịch sự. The English are polite.
  • Tobias lịch sự từ chối lời mời. Tobias respectfully declined the invitation.
  • Điều quan trọng là phải lịch sự. It is important to be polite.
  • Chỉ vào người khác là bất lịch sự. It is rude to point at people.
  • Bạn nên lịch sự hơn. You should be more polite.
  • Bạn có lịch sự không? Are you polite?
  • Tôi nghĩ điều tốt nhất là không mất lịch sự. I think it is best not to be impolite.
  • Cô ấy là người rất không lịch sự, đúng không? She isn't very polite, is she?

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

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 歷事, composed of 歷 (“to experience”) and 事 (“things”).

Frequently asked questions

What does lịch sự mean in English?

lịch sự (adjective) means "civil and polite".

How do you pronounce lịch sự?

IPA: Hanoi [lïk̟̚˧˨ʔ sɨ˧˨ʔ]; Saigon [lɨt̚˨˩˨ ʂɨ˨˩˨]. Tones: lịch — heavy tone (nặng), sự — heavy tone (nặng).

Is lịch sự a Sino-Vietnamese word?

Yes. lịch sự is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 歷事.

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.