ngợm
nouncombining form
Hanoi [ŋəːm˧˨ʔ]Huế [ŋəːm˨˩ʔ]Saigon [ŋəːm˨˩˨] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
Classifier: con — e.g. một con ngợm
Meanings of ngợm in English
Noun
- being that looks like a human but lacks basic human decency
Combining form
- reduplicant of người, only used in người ngợm
- reduplicant of nghịch, only used in nghịch ngợm
Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)
Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, ngợm could be written as 𤼔. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
Most likely a free noun developed from người ngợm through rebracketing (see below). Various Vietnamese dictionaries try to define this element as if it was a free noun, but inexact semantics and inconsistency between them suggest that this was originally a product of reduplication.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce ngợm?
IPA: Hanoi [ŋəːm˧˨ʔ]; Saigon [ŋəːm˨˩˨]. Tones: ngợm — heavy tone (nặng).
What classifier is used with ngợm?
Common classifiers: con — for example "một con ngợm" (one ngợm).