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nay

Level ≈A1 (approx.) adjectivenounadverb Top 1,000 most common
Hanoi [naj˧˧]Huế [naj˧˧]Saigon [na(ː)j˧˧] browser voice
Syllables · tones
naylevelngang

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

nay means today; now; this.

Meanings of nay in English

Adjective

  1. that is today, or happening today
    • sáng/trưa/chiều/tối/đêm naythis morning/forenoon/afternoon/evening/night
    • bữa/hôm naytoday
    • Sáng nay ăn sáng chưa?Have you had breakfast this morning?

Noun

  1. literary now, the present, as opposed to xưa (“long ago; the past”) and mai (“later in the future”)
    • Nay không lo làm thì mai không có ăn đâu.If you don't work today, you won't be able to afford to eat tomorrow.
    • Xưa cả làng sợ họ nhà nó lắm. Nay chẳng ai sợ cái cóc khô gì cả.The whole village used to fear their family. These days, though, nobody fears a damn thing.

Adverb

  1. abbreviation clipping of hôm nay (“today”)
  2. abbreviation clipping of bữa nay (“today”)

Words with nay

hiện nayhôm nayngày nayxưa naynay mai

Example sentences with nay

  • Tôi sẽ ngủ ở đây tối nay. I'm going to sleep here tonight.
  • Tối nay chúng ta ăn ở đâu? Where do we eat dinner tonight?
  • Bà tôi đã gửi thư sáng nay. My grandmother posted the letter this morning.
  • Chúng ta tối nay đi ăn nhé. Let's eat out tonight.
  • Bạn đã ra đi nhiều năm nay. You have been gone for so many years.
  • Tối nay tôi sẽ nấu bữa tối. I will cook dinner tonight.
  • Tối nay mình đi ăn ngoài đi. Let's eat out tonight.
  • Tối nay anh ấy có đến không? Will he come this evening?

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, nay could be written as 尼, 𫢩, 𬁉, 𠉞. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

Cognate with này.

Frequently asked questions

What does nay mean in English?

nay (adjective) means "today; now; this".

How do you pronounce nay?

IPA: Hanoi [naj˧˧]; Saigon [na(ː)j˧˧]. Tones: nay — level tone (ngang).

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.