luôn
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
luôn means always; continually.
Meanings of luôn in English
Adverb
- always
- continually
- at once; straight away
Words with luôn
Example sentences with luôn
- Cô ta luôn đứng về bên yếu. She always sides with the weak.
- Tôi sẽ luôn ở bên cạnh bạn. I will always be there for you.
- Bạn luôn được chào đón ở đây. You're always welcome here.
- Đầm dạ hội luôn được mong chờ. Evening dress is desired.
- Từ trước đến giờ mày luôn đúng. You are in the right so far.
- Anh ấy luôn làm tôi ngạc nhiên. I'm always surprised by him.
- Chúng tôi luôn đi bằng xe buýt. We always take a bus.
- Anh ta luôn nghĩ rằng mình đúng. He always thinks he's right.
Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).
Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)
Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, luôn could be written as 𫷓, 輪, 㫻. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Usage note: luôn
luôn means "always", but in the South especially it also means "right away" or "all the way".
- Always (before the verb, often luôn luôn): Cô ấy luôn đến đúng giờ. — She's always on time.
- Right away, at the same time (after the verb): Anh trả tiền luôn nhé. — Pay now, OK? Làm luôn đi! — Do it right now!
- Completely, as well: Ăn luôn cái này đi. — Eat this one too. Ngon quá, hết luôn! — So good, it's all gone!
The after-the-verb uses are very colloquial and frequent in Southern speech, where luôn also intensifies: Đẹp luôn! — Totally beautiful!
✗ Tôi ăn phở luôn to mean "I always eat pho" — that reads as "I'll have pho too / straight away" → ✓ Tôi luôn ăn phở or more natural Tôi hay ăn phở (I often eat pho).
Frequently asked questions
What does luôn mean in English?
luôn (adverb) means "always; continually".
How do you pronounce luôn?
IPA: Hanoi [luən˧˧]; Saigon [luəŋ˧˧]. Tones: luôn — level tone (ngang).