nêm

nounverb

Hanoi [nem˧˧]Huế [nem˧˧]Saigon [nem˧˧] browser voice

Syllables · tones

nêmlevelngang

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

nêm means wedge.

Meanings of nêm in English

Noun

wedge

Verb

to wedge; to drive a wedge; to thrust a wedge
to pack into

Verb

Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam to season (with salt, fish sauce); to flavor (with)

Words with nêm

nêm nếm

Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)

Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, nêm could be written as 楠. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

From an infixed form of a root that gave rise to chêm (“to wedge”).

Frequently asked questions

What does nêm mean in English?

nêm (noun) means "wedge".

How do you pronounce nêm?

IPA: Hanoi [nem˧˧]; Saigon [nem˧˧]. Tones: nêm — 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.