ngại ngùng

Level ≈B2 (approx.) verb Top 3,000 most common

Hanoi [ŋaːj˧˨ʔ ŋʊwŋ͡m˨˩]Huế [ŋaːj˨˩ʔ ŋʊwŋ͡m˦˩]Saigon [ŋaːj˨˩˨ ŋʊwŋ͡m˨˩] browser voice

Syllables · tones

ngạiheavynặng ngùngfallinghuyền

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

ngại ngùng means to be shy; to be afraid; to be hesitant.

Meanings of ngại ngùng in English

Verb

to be shy; to be afraid; to be hesitant (generally speaking)

Example sentences with ngại ngùng

Tom bước vào phòng một cách ngại ngùng. Tom entered the room nervously.
Cô ấy ngại ngùng nên không thể nói "Em yêu anh". She is shy so she cannot say "I love you".

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

Etymology

-ung reduplication (A tone) of ngại.

Frequently asked questions

What does ngại ngùng mean in English?

ngại ngùng (verb) means "to be shy; to be afraid; to be hesitant".

How do you pronounce ngại ngùng?

IPA: Hanoi [ŋaːj˧˨ʔ ŋʊwŋ͡m˨˩]; Saigon [ŋaːj˨˩˨ ŋʊwŋ͡m˨˩]. Tones: ngại — heavy tone (nặng), ngùng — falling tone (huyền).

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.