sấm sét

Level ≈B2 (approx.) nounadjective Top 5,000 most common

Hanoi [səm˧˦ sɛt̚˧˦]Huế [ʂəm˦˧˥ ʂɛt̚˦˧˥]Saigon [ʂəm˦˥ ʂɛk̚˦˥] browser voice

Syllables · tones

sấmrisingsắc sétrisingsắc

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

sấm sét means thunder and lightning.

Meanings of sấm sét in English

Noun

thunder and lightning (generally speaking)

Adjective

of an effect or impact terrible; crushing; dreadful

Example sentences with sấm sét

Hôm qua trời mưa nhưng không có sấm sét. It rained yesterday, but there was no thunder.
Tôi đang ở trong bệnh viện. Tôi bị đánh bởi sấm sét. I'm at the hospital. I got struck by lightning.
Tôi mới chỉ đi bộ được khoảng một dặm thì trời bắt đầu có sấm sét. I had hardly walked a mile when it began to thunder.
Tôi mới chỉ đi bộ được khoảng một cây rưỡi thì trời bắt đầu có sấm sét. I had hardly walked a mile when it began to thunder.

Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).

Etymology

sấm + sét.

Frequently asked questions

What does sấm sét mean in English?

sấm sét (noun) means "thunder and lightning".

How do you pronounce sấm sét?

IPA: Hanoi [səm˧˦ sɛt̚˧˦]; Saigon [ʂəm˦˥ ʂɛk̚˦˥]. Tones: sấm — rising tone (sắc), sét — rising tone (sắc).

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.