nhài
noun Top 5,000 most common
Hanoi [ɲaːj˨˩]Huế [ɲaːj˦˩]Saigon [ɲaːj˨˩] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
nhài means jasmine; paper fan pin.
Meanings of nhài in English
Noun
- Northern Vietnam jasmine
- Northern Vietnam paper fan pin (fastening slats, originally jasmine-shaped)
Noun
- archaic, historical maid; maidservant; abigail
Example sentences with nhài
- Mary chỉ uống trà nhài. Mary only drinks chamomile tea.
Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).
Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)
Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, nhài could be written as 𣔦, 𦲒, 𦹹. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
Ultimately from Sanskrit मल्लि (malli, “jasmine”), perhaps through Chinese 茉莉 (mạt lị, “jasmine”). The reduction of the first syllable can also be seen in Khmer ម្លិះ (mlih, “jasmine”).
Frequently asked questions
What does nhài mean in English?
nhài (noun) means "jasmine; paper fan pin".
How do you pronounce nhài?
IPA: Hanoi [ɲaːj˨˩]; Saigon [ɲaːj˨˩]. Tones: nhài — falling tone (huyền).
What classifier is used with nhài?
Common classifiers: cây, hoa, bông — for example "một cây nhài" (one jasmine).