mời
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
mời means to invite; to ask.
Meanings of mời in English
Verb
- to invite; to ask
- khách mờiinvited guest
Words with mời
Example sentences with mời
- Tôi đã mời cô ấy xem phim. I invited her to the movies.
- Sao Tom và Mary lại được mời? Why were Tom and Mary invited?
- Bọn mình sẽ mời Jane và Ellen. We are going to invite Jane and Ellen.
- Tobias lịch sự từ chối lời mời. Tobias respectfully declined the invitation.
- Cảm ơn vì đã mời tôi. Thanks for inviting me.
- Ai đã mời bạn đến đây? Who invited you here?
- Ai đã mời bạn vào đây? Who invited you here?
- Họ đã mời anh ấy đến bữa tiệc. They invited him to the party.
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, mời could be written as 𠶣, 𠶆, 𠷯, 𫬱. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Usage note: mời
mời means "to invite", and it is how Vietnamese say "please (do something for your benefit)" — sit down, come in, eat.
- Mời anh ngồi. — Please have a seat.
- Mời chị vào. — Please come in.
- Mời cả nhà ăn cơm. — Please, everyone, let's eat. (said before a family meal)
The last example is a real custom: before eating, younger family members "invite" the elders to start. As a guest, you may hear it and can say it too: Cháu mời ông bà ăn cơm ạ.
mời also means "to treat (pay for someone)": Hôm nay em mời. — It's my treat today. If someone says this, they intend to pay.
Invitations: thiệp mời — invitation card; mời đám cưới — invite to a wedding.
Compare with làm ơn, which asks a favour for you. mời offers something for them.
Frequently asked questions
What does mời mean in English?
mời (verb) means "to invite; to ask".
How do you pronounce mời?
IPA: Hanoi [məːj˨˩]; Saigon [məːj˨˩]. Tones: mời — falling tone (huyền).