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nước ngoài

Level ≈A2 (approx.) nounadjective Top 1,000 most common
Hanoi [nɨək̚˧˦ ŋwaːj˨˩]Huế [nɨək̚˦˧˥ ŋwaːj˦˩]Saigon [nɨək̚˦˥ ŋwaːj˨˩] browser voice
Syllables · tones
nướcrisingsắcngoàifallinghuyền

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

nước ngoài means a foreign country.

Meanings of nước ngoài in English

Noun

  1. a foreign country

Adjective

  1. foreign

Words with nước ngoài

người nước ngoài

Example sentences with nước ngoài

  • Học tiếng nước ngoài không hề dễ. It isn't easy to learn a foreign language.
  • Tôi từng có ý định ra nước ngoài. I intended to have gone abroad.
  • Tôi từng có ý định đi nước ngoài. I had intended to go abroad.
  • Tôi sống ở nước ngoài được 10 năm. I've lived abroad for ten years.
  • Chúng ta có hai người bạn nước ngoài. We have two foreign friends.
  • Chúng tôi có hai người bạn nước ngoài. We have two foreign friends.
  • Dịch thơ sang tiếng nước ngoài không dễ. Translating poetry into foreign languages isn't easy.
  • Tom sống ở nước ngoài. Tom lives abroad.

Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).

Etymology

Calque of Chinese 外國 /外国 (ngoại quốc, literally “outside country”).

Frequently asked questions

What does nước ngoài mean in English?

nước ngoài (noun) means "a foreign country".

How do you pronounce nước ngoài?

IPA: Hanoi [nɨək̚˧˦ ŋwaːj˨˩]; Saigon [nɨək̚˦˥ ŋwaːj˨˩]. Tones: nước — rising tone (sắc), ngoài — falling tone (huyền).

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited; example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). IPA shown for three accents: Hanoi (Northern), Huế (Central) and Saigon (Southern). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice, for reference only. Levels are approximate, estimated from word frequency. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.