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ngược lại

Level ≈B2 (approx.) adverb Top 3,000 most common
Hanoi [ŋɨək̚˧˨ʔ laːj˧˨ʔ]Huế [ŋɨək̚˨˩ʔ laːj˨˩ʔ]Saigon [ŋɨək̚˨˩˨ laːj˨˩˨] browser voice
Syllables · tones
ngượcheavynặnglạiheavynặng

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

ngược lại means on the contrary; conversely; instead.

Meanings of ngược lại in English

Adverb

  1. on the contrary; conversely; instead
  2. vice versa
    • hoặc ngược lạior vice versa

Example sentences with ngược lại

  • Ngược lại, chúng ta có một manh mối. On the contrary, we have a clue.
  • Nhẹ ngược lại với nặng. Light is the opposite of heavy.
  • Tôi không thấy bức tranh xấu; ngược lại, tôi còn thấy nó đẹp đấy chứ. That picture doesn't seem ugly to me; on the contrary, I think it's rather beautiful.

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

Etymology

ngược + lại.

Frequently asked questions

What does ngược lại mean in English?

ngược lại (adverb) means "on the contrary; conversely; instead".

How do you pronounce ngược lại?

IPA: Hanoi [ŋɨək̚˧˨ʔ laːj˧˨ʔ]; Saigon [ŋɨək̚˨˩˨ laːj˨˩˨]. Tones: ngược — heavy tone (nặng), lại — heavy tone (nặng).

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.