ngọc trai

Level ≈B2 (approx.) noun Top 5,000 most common

Hanoi [ŋawk͡p̚˧˨ʔ t͡ɕaːj˧˧]Huế [ŋawk͡p̚˨˩ʔ ʈaːj˧˧]Saigon [ŋawk͡p̚˨˩˨ ʈaːj˧˧] browser voice

Syllables · tones

ngọcheavynặng trailevelngang

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

ngọc trai means pearl.

Classifier: viên, hòn — e.g. một viên ngọc trai (one pearl)

Meanings of ngọc trai in English

Noun

pearl ≈ trân châu

Example sentences with ngọc trai

Những cái kia là ngọc trai tổng hợp hay là ngọc trai nuôi cấy? Are those synthetic or cultured pearls?

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

Etymology

ngọc (“gem”) + trai (“mussel”).

Frequently asked questions

What does ngọc trai mean in English?

ngọc trai (noun) means "pearl".

How do you pronounce ngọc trai?

IPA: Hanoi [ŋawk͡p̚˧˨ʔ t͡ɕaːj˧˧]; Saigon [ŋawk͡p̚˨˩˨ ʈaːj˧˧]. Tones: ngọc — heavy tone (nặng), trai — level tone (ngang).

What classifier is used with ngọc trai?

Common classifiers: viên, hòn — for example "một viên ngọc trai" (one pearl).

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.