mắc
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
mắc means to hang; to hook.
Meanings of mắc in English
Verb
- to hang; to hook
- to catch; to get caught (in); to be trapped (in); to fall into
- mắc lướito get caught in a net
- to contract (disease); to catch
- mắc bệnhto get sick
- Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam to contract (debt); to owe
- Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam to be busy; to be occupied; to be engaged
- Đi chơi hả? Để mai mốt gì đi, mắc việc rồi.Hanging out? Umm, maybe later, I'm kinda occupied with work right now.
- Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam to want to (go to the bathroom, laugh, etc.); to have the desire to
- mắc óiwanting to puke
- mắc cườifunny or laughable
- Southern Vietnam to cause (one to develop a feeling)
Adjective
- Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam expensive; dear ≈ đắt
Noun
- abbreviation short for mắc áo (“hanger”)
Words with mắc
Example sentences with mắc
- Họ vừa thừa nhận mắc sai lầm. They just admitted to making a mistake.
- Cô ấy đã mắc bệnh tả. She has caught cholera.
- Con người thường mắc sai lầm. People make mistakes.
- Bạn mắc có vài lỗi chính tả thôi. You have made only a few spelling mistakes.
- Bạn có bị mắc chứng khó đọc không? Are you dyslexic?
- AI có thể mắc lỗi. AI can make mistakes.
- Tom đã mắc sai lầm. Tom made mistakes.
- Tôi mắc chứng khó đọc. I'm dyslexic.
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, mắc could be written as 縸, 黓, 默, 𢹇. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Usage note: mắc
In the South, mắc is the everyday word for "expensive"; the North says đắt.
- Mắc quá! — Too expensive!
- Sao mắc vậy chị? — Why is it so expensive?
Other meanings, everywhere:
- Get caught, stuck: mắc kẹt — stuck; mắc lỗi — make a mistake; mắc bệnh — catch a disease
- Hang up: mắc màn — hang a mosquito net; cái mắc áo — coat hanger
- Busy (South): Em đang mắc làm. — I'm busy working.
- Need (South): mắc tiểu — need to pee; mắc cười — want to laugh, funny
- mắc cỡ — shy, embarrassed (South)
Bargaining phrase in Saigon: Mắc quá, bớt chút đi! — Too pricey, knock a bit off!
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Vietic *ɓak, from Proto-Austroasiatic *ɓakʔ (“to carry on back/slung”). Cognate with Muong bắc, Chut [Sách] kəbak⁷, Mang ɓak⁷, Eastern Bru ʔa.bak, Bahnar tơʼbăk, Khmer ពាក់ (pĕək).
Frequently asked questions
What does mắc mean in English?
mắc (verb) means "to hang; to hook".
How do you pronounce mắc?
IPA: Hanoi [mak̚˧˦]; Saigon [mak̚˦˥]. Tones: mắc — rising tone (sắc).