may
Hanoi [maj˧˧]Huế [maj˧˧]Saigon [ma(ː)j˧˧] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
may means to sew.
Meanings of may in English
Verb
- to sew
Adjective
- lucky ≈ hên
Noun
- rare, in isolation a cold breeze
Words with may
Example sentences with may
- May thay, không ai bị thương cả. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
- Thật không may, hôm đó trời mưa. Unfortunately, it rained that day.
- Thật may vì cậu ở nhà. Luckily, you were at home.
- May là không ai chết cả. Fortunately, nobody died.
- Không may, Tom đã tự tử. Unfortunately, Tom committed suicide.
- Thật may, cô ấy đã khỏe trở lại. Luckily, she got healthy again.
- Không may là mèo của tôi bị bệnh. Unfortunately, my cat is sick.
- Tom có vẻ không may. Tom seems to be unlucky.
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, may could be written as 𦁼, 埋, 枚, 𢆧. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
Cognate with Muong Bi băl.
Frequently asked questions
What does may mean in English?
may (verb) means "to sew".
How do you pronounce may?
IPA: Hanoi [maj˧˧]; Saigon [ma(ː)j˧˧]. Tones: may — level tone (ngang).