nước mắm

noun

Hanoi [nɨək̚˧˦ mam˧˦]Huế [nɨək̚˦˧˥ mam˦˧˥]Saigon [nɨək̚˦˥ mam˦˥] browser voice

Syllables · tones

nướcrisingsắc mắmrisingsắc

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

nước mắm means A light brown; lemon juice; sugar.

Meanings of nước mắm in English

Noun

A light brown, watery fish sauce used in Vietnamese cookery. ≈ mắm
A mixture of this sauce with water, lemon juice, sugar, and various seasonings such as garlic and black pepper. ≈ nước chấm

Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)

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

Etymology

nước (“water”) + mắm (“salted fish”)

Frequently asked questions

What does nước mắm mean in English?

nước mắm (noun) means "A light brown; lemon juice; sugar".

How do you pronounce nước mắm?

IPA: Hanoi [nɨək̚˧˦ mam˧˦]; Saigon [nɨək̚˦˥ mam˦˥]. Tones: nước — rising tone (sắc), mắm — rising tone (sắc).

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.