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phổi

Level ≈B2 (approx.) noun Top 5,000 most common
Hanoi [foj˧˩]Huế [foj˧˨]Saigon [foj˨˩˦] browser voice
Syllables · tones

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

phổi means lung.

Classifier: lá, quả — e.g. một lá phổi (one lung)

Meanings of phổi in English

Noun

  1. lung

Words with phổi

Example sentences with phổi

  • Anh ấy bị ung thư phổi. He's got lung cancer.
  • Hệ tim mạch được cấu tạo từ phổi, tim, tĩnh mạch, động mạnh và mao mạch. Lungs, heart, veins, arteries and capillaries form the cardiovascular system.
  • Hệ tuần hoàn được cấu tạo từ phổi, tim, tĩnh mạch, động mạnh và mao mạch. Lungs, heart, veins, arteries and capillaries form the cardiovascular system.

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, phổi could be written as 𦟊, 肺, 配, 𦡮. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

From Proto-Vietic *p-soːs (“lungs”), from Proto-Mon-Khmer. In the more innovative Vietic languages, *-s- debuccalized into *-h-, then developed regularly to the current Vietnamese form. In this particular case, this *-s- > *-h- shift might also have been influenced by sound symbolism. Cognate with Tho [Cuối Chăm] pʰɔːl⁵, Thavung pasuh¹, Pacoh xóh, Bahnar dơsoh, Mon ကသံ (kəsɔˀ).

Frequently asked questions

What does phổi mean in English?

phổi (noun) means "lung".

How do you pronounce phổi?

IPA: Hanoi [foj˧˩]; Saigon [foj˨˩˦]. Tones: phổi — dipping tone (hỏi).

What classifier is used with phổi?

Common classifiers: lá, quả — for example "một lá phổi" (one lung).

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.