sâu bọ

noun

Hanoi [səw˧˧ ʔɓɔ˧˨ʔ]Huế [ʂəw˧˧ ʔɓɔ˨˩ʔ]Saigon [ʂəw˧˧ ʔɓɔ˨˩˨] browser voice

Syllables · tones

sâulevelngang bọheavynặng

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

sâu bọ means insects.

Meanings of sâu bọ in English

Noun

collective insects

Example sentences with sâu bọ

Sâu bọ có lớp vỏ cứng. Insects have a hard skin.

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, sâu bọ could be written as 蝼𧌂, 蝼𧐾, 蝼𲀇. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

sâu (“caterpillar”) + bọ (“bug”).

Frequently asked questions

What does sâu bọ mean in English?

sâu bọ (noun) means "insects".

How do you pronounce sâu bọ?

IPA: Hanoi [səw˧˧ ʔɓɔ˧˨ʔ]; Saigon [ʂəw˧˧ ʔɓɔ˨˩˨]. Tones: sâu — level tone (ngang), bọ — heavy tone (nặng).

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. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.