mẹ
Hanoi [mɛ˧˨ʔ]Huế [mɛ˨˩ʔ]Saigon [mɛ˨˩˨] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
mẹ means mother.
Meanings of mẹ in English
Pronoun
- I/me, your mother
- you, my mother
- ironic you (toward a female person whom one disdains)
Interjection
- vulgar Used as an intensifier.
- mẹ màyyour mom
- Trời nóng bỏ mẹ ra.The weather is so fucking hot.
Noun
- Our Lady
- Đức MẹOur Lady
Pronoun
- You, Our Lady
- She/Her, Our Lady
Words with mẹ
Idioms and sayings with mẹ
- mẹ tròn con vuông — round mother, squared baby
Example sentences with mẹ
- Tom đã mất cả bố và mẹ. Tom has lost both of his parents.
- Mẹ tôi bảo tôi đi cắt cỏ. Mother told me to mow the lawn.
- Tôi yêu mẹ tôi và bố tôi. I love my mother and father.
- Mẹ của mày có ở nhà không? Is your mother at home?
- Mẹ của con có ở nhà không? Is your mother at home?
- Mẹ của anh có ở nhà không? Is your mother at home?
- Mẹ tôi là giáo viên cấp 3. My mother is a high school teacher.
- Mẹ của cháu có ở nhà không? Is your mother at home?
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, mẹ could be written as 美, 母, 媄, 𭒏. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
From Proto-Vietic *meːʔ ~ *mɛːʔ, from Proto-Austroasiatic *meʔ (“mother”). Cognate with Bahnar mĕ, Khmer ម៉ែ (mae), Mon မိ (mìˀ), Khasi mei. Ultimately a nursery word, compare Old Chinese 母 (*mɯʔ) and Proto-Tai *meːᴮ (whence Thai แม่ (mɛ̂ɛ)). Doublet of mái.
Frequently asked questions
What does mẹ mean in English?
mẹ (noun) means "mother".
How do you pronounce mẹ?
IPA: Hanoi [mɛ˧˨ʔ]; Saigon [mɛ˨˩˨]. Tones: mẹ — heavy tone (nặng).