quá tam ba bận
phrase
Hanoi [kwaː˧˦ taːm˧˧ ʔɓaː˧˧ ʔɓən˧˨ʔ]Huế [kwaː˨˩˦ taːm˧˧ ʔɓaː˧˧ ʔɓəŋ˨˩ʔ]Saigon [waː˦˥ taːm˧˧ ʔɓaː˧˧ ʔɓəŋ˨˩˨] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
quá tam ba bận means after three attempts.
Meanings of quá tam ba bận in English
Phrase
- idiomatic after three attempts, the chance of the success decreases greatly
Etymology
Literally, "over three times". The use of both Sino-Vietnamese tam (三) and native ba for "three" next to each other is probably a form of emphasis.
Frequently asked questions
What does quá tam ba bận mean in English?
quá tam ba bận (phrase) means "after three attempts".
How do you pronounce quá tam ba bận?
IPA: Hanoi [kwaː˧˦ taːm˧˧ ʔɓaː˧˧ ʔɓən˧˨ʔ]; Saigon [waː˦˥ taːm˧˧ ʔɓaː˧˧ ʔɓəŋ˨˩˨]. Tones: quá — rising tone (sắc), tam — level tone (ngang), ba — level tone (ngang), bận — heavy tone (nặng).