mề

noun

Hanoi [me˨˩]Huế [mej˦˩]Saigon [mej˨˩] browser voice

Syllables · tones

mềfallinghuyền

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

mề means gizzard.

Classifier: cái — e.g. một cái mề (one gizzard)

Meanings of mề in English

Noun

gizzard (of a bird)

Words with mề

mề đay

Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)

Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, mề could be written as 𣎊, 𦟂, 𫆿. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

From Proto-Vietic. Cognate with Muong Bi mềl, Thavung mɛ:n¹ (Suwilai, 2000). Also compare Proto-Katuic *meel (“spleen”) (whence Eastern Katu mêl (“spleen”) and Pacoh mêl (“gizzard”)).

Frequently asked questions

What does mề mean in English?

mề (noun) means "gizzard".

How do you pronounce mề?

IPA: Hanoi [me˨˩]; Saigon [mej˨˩]. Tones: mề — falling tone (huyền).

What classifier is used with mề?

Common classifiers: cái — for example "một cái mề" (one gizzard).

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited. IPA shown for three accents: Hanoi (Northern), Huế (Central) and Saigon (Southern). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice, for reference only. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.