ngãi lới
noun Sino-Vietnamese
Hanoi [ŋaːj˦ˀ˥ ləːj˧˦]Huế [ŋaːj˧˨ ləːj˨˩˦]Saigon [ŋaːj˨˩˦ ləːj˦˥] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
ngãi lới means meaning and principle; "the right way".
Also spelled nghĩa lí — same word, same meaning.
Chinese characters: 義理
Meanings of ngãi lới in English
Noun
- literary meaning and principle; "the right way"
- colloquial, in the negative meaning; sense
- Làm vậy chi vậy? Đúng là chả ra nghĩa lí gì sất.What did you do that for? It's utterly pointless/senseless.
Etymology
While ngãi was common, the reading lới for 理 (MC liX) was very rare; in fact, this seems to be the only compound where lới occurred (unless the element in mánh lới is the same).
Frequently asked questions
What does ngãi lới mean in English?
ngãi lới (noun) means "meaning and principle; "the right way"".
How do you pronounce ngãi lới?
IPA: Hanoi [ŋaːj˦ˀ˥ ləːj˧˦]; Saigon [ŋaːj˨˩˦ ləːj˦˥]. Tones: ngãi — creaky rising tone (ngã), lới — rising tone (sắc).
Is ngãi lới a Sino-Vietnamese word?
Yes. ngãi lới is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 義理.