loay hoay
verb
Hanoi [lwaj˧˧ hwaj˧˧]Huế [lwaj˧˧ hwaj˧˧]Saigon [l⁽ʷ⁾aj˧˧ waj˧˧] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
loay hoay means to struggle to deal; to try everything; to fumble.
Meanings of loay hoay in English
Verb
- to struggle to deal; to try everything; to fumble; to mess around
- loay hoay mãi vẫn không mở được cửato try forvever but still cannot open the door
- loay hoay với cái xe hỏngto try everything to fix the broken car
Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)
Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, loay hoay could be written as 雷揮. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
From l- reduplication of hoay (obsolete), likely related to obsolete hoáy, whence loáy hoáy and hí hoáy.
Frequently asked questions
What does loay hoay mean in English?
loay hoay (verb) means "to struggle to deal; to try everything; to fumble".
How do you pronounce loay hoay?
IPA: Hanoi [lwaj˧˧ hwaj˧˧]; Saigon [l⁽ʷ⁾aj˧˧ waj˧˧]. Tones: loay — level tone (ngang), hoay — level tone (ngang).