ma lanh

adjective

Hanoi [maː˧˧ lajŋ̟˧˧]Huế [maː˧˧ lɛɲ˧˧]Saigon [maː˧˧ lan˧˧] browser voice

Syllables · tones

malevelngang lanhlevelngang

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

ma lanh means cunning; or sly.

Meanings of ma lanh in English

Adjective

colloquial cunning, or (for tricksters) sly ≈ láu cá láu lỉnh
colloquial bright; intelligent ≈ lanh lợi

Etymology

From French malin, though a native origin has also been proposed; compare nhanh.

Frequently asked questions

What does ma lanh mean in English?

ma lanh (adjective) means "cunning; or sly".

How do you pronounce ma lanh?

IPA: Hanoi [maː˧˧ lajŋ̟˧˧]; Saigon [maː˧˧ lan˧˧]. Tones: ma — level tone (ngang), lanh — level tone (ngang).

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.