nỏ

nounadverb

Hanoi [nɔ˧˩]Huế [nɔ˧˨]Saigon [nɔ˨˩˦] browser voice

Syllables · tones

nỏdippinghỏi

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

nỏ means crossbow.

Classifier: cái, chiếc — e.g. một cái nỏ (one crossbow)

Meanings of nỏ in English

Noun

crossbow ≈ ná

Adverb

Central Vietnam, Northern Vietnam not ≈ không chẳng chả
- Tau nỏ biết.I don't know.

Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)

Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, nỏ could be written as 弩, 𱣳, 怒. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 弩 (“crossbow”, SV: nỗ). Doublet of ná.

Frequently asked questions

What does nỏ mean in English?

nỏ (noun) means "crossbow".

How do you pronounce nỏ?

IPA: Hanoi [nɔ˧˩]; Saigon [nɔ˨˩˦]. Tones: nỏ — dipping tone (hỏi).

What classifier is used with nỏ?

Common classifiers: cái, chiếc — for example "một cái nỏ" (one crossbow).

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.