quân bất hí ngôn
phrase
Hanoi [kwən˧˧ ʔɓət̚˧˦ hi˧˦ ŋon˧˧]Huế [kwəŋ˧˧ ʔɓək̚˦˧˥ hɪj˨˩˦ ŋoŋ˧˧]Saigon [wəŋ˧˧ ʔɓək̚˦˥ hɪj˦˥ ŋoŋ˧˧] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
Meanings of quân bất hí ngôn in English
Phrase
- idiomatic A monarch should not say anything in jest
- idiomatic A person in power should not say anything in jest and not in earnest
Etymology
Sino-Vietnamese word from 君 (“monarch”), 不 (“not”) and 戲言 (“to joke, to jest, to say something playfully and not in earnest”). See its alternative form "quân vô hí ngôn" for etymology.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce quân bất hí ngôn?
IPA: Hanoi [kwən˧˧ ʔɓət̚˧˦ hi˧˦ ŋon˧˧]; Saigon [wəŋ˧˧ ʔɓək̚˦˥ hɪj˦˥ ŋoŋ˧˧]. Tones: quân — level tone (ngang), bất — rising tone (sắc), hí — rising tone (sắc), ngôn — level tone (ngang).