mệnh

Level ≈B2 (approx.) noun Sino-Vietnamese Top 5,000 most common

Hanoi [məjŋ̟˧˨ʔ]Huế [men˨˩ʔ]Saigon [məːn˨˩˨] browser voice

Syllables · tones

mệnhheavynặng

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

Chinese characters: 命

Meanings of mệnh in English

Noun

the wuxing element you're associated with, which dictates your luck and the kind of people you can get along with
- Mệnh hoả không hạp với mệnh thuỷ."Fire people" don't get along with "water people".
uncommon life ≈ mạng
literary, rare fate ≈ vận mệnh số mệnh
- Mệnh trời khó cưỡng.It's not easy to resist fate / the Mandate of Heaven.
archaic order from the monarch ≈ mệnh lệnh
- Tuân mệnh/lệnh/chỉ!Roger! / As you wish, my liege!

Words with mệnh

cách mệnh định mệnh mệnh đề mệnh lệnh sinh mệnh số mệnh sứ mệnh thiên mệnh tính mệnh vận mệnh mệnh bạc mệnh danh mệnh hệ

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 命; this is the Northern form. Doublet of mạng, the Southern form.

Frequently asked questions

How do you pronounce mệnh?

IPA: Hanoi [məjŋ̟˧˨ʔ]; Saigon [məːn˨˩˨]. Tones: mệnh — heavy tone (nặng).

Is mệnh a Sino-Vietnamese word?

Yes. mệnh is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 命.

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. Levels are approximate, estimated from word frequency. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.