nắm
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
nắm means to hold; to grip; to grasp.
Meanings of nắm in English
Verb
- to hold; to grip; to grasp
- figurative to grasp (opportunity, power, etc.); to seize
Classifier
- Used for a handful or fistful of something.
Words with nắm
Example sentences with nắm
- Tom nắm chắc sợi dây. Tom grabbed a hold of the rope.
- Khi bắt tay ai không được nắm chặt quá. You can't shake someone's hand with a clenched fist.
- Anh ấy đã xoay cái nắm cửa bằng tay trái. He turned the doorknob with his left hand.
- Tôi đã thấy Tom và Mary đang nắm tay nhau. I saw Tom and Mary holding hands.
- Nắm chặt vào! Hold tight!
- Anh ấy đã lấy tay trái vặn cái tay nắm cửa. He turned the doorknob with his left hand.
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, nắm could be written as 捻, 唸, 𪫶, 喃. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
From Proto-Vietic *-namʔ (Ferlus, 2007), with the straightforward Muong Bi cognate nẳm. Curiously, Ferlus (2007) also assigned this word, along with Pong nɨm⁴, to the reconstruction *-nəmʔ; both might be different reconstructions of one etymology. Chut [Mày] nɯ̆m⁴ ("to grasp") (Babaev & Samarina, 2018) might also be listed.
Frequently asked questions
What does nắm mean in English?
nắm (verb) means "to hold; to grip; to grasp".
How do you pronounce nắm?
IPA: Hanoi [nam˧˦]; Saigon [nam˦˥]. Tones: nắm — rising tone (sắc).