tàn

Level ≈B2 (approx.) verbnoun Sino-Vietnamese Top 5,000 most common

Hanoi [taːn˨˩]Huế [taːŋ˦˩]Saigon [taːŋ˨˩] browser voice

Syllables · tones

tànfallinghuyền

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

tàn means to fade; to wither; to decay.

Chinese characters: 殘

Meanings of tàn in English

Verb

to fade; to wither; to decay; to crumble

Noun

ash resulting from burning cigarettes, incense or mosquito coils; compare tro (“ash in general”)

Words with tàn

Example sentences with tàn

Cuộc vui nào cũng sẽ tàn. All good things must come to an end.
Anh ấy lái một chiếc xe tải tàn tạ. He drives a breakdown lorry.
Bữa tiệc đã tàn, nhưng chúng ta vẫn chưa thể về nhà. The party's over, but we still can't go home.
Bữa tiệc đã tàn rồi, nhưng chúng tôi vẫn chưa thể về nhà. The party's over, but we still can't go home.

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

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 殘 (“to damage”).

Frequently asked questions

What does tàn mean in English?

tàn (verb) means "to fade; to wither; to decay".

How do you pronounce tàn?

IPA: Hanoi [taːn˨˩]; Saigon [taːŋ˨˩]. Tones: tàn — falling tone (huyền).

Is tàn a Sino-Vietnamese word?

Yes. tàn is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 殘.

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.