tê tê
noun
Hanoi [te˧˧ te˧˧]Huế [tej˧˧ tej˧˧]Saigon [tej˧˧ tej˧˧] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
tê tê means pangolin.
Classifier: con — e.g. một con tê tê (one pangolin)
Meanings of tê tê in English
Noun
- pangolin ≈ trút
Example sentences with tê tê
- Nước sốt cay khiến lưỡi tôi tê tê. The dip burned my tongue.
- Nước sốt quá cay khiến đầu lưỡi tôi tê tê. The dip was so hot, it burned my tongue.
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, tê tê could be written as 犀犀. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
From Proto-Vietic *-seːl (“scale”). Cognate with Arem athiơl (“fishscale”). Compare Proto-Katuic *ʔnsial (“fishscale”) (whence Pacoh xeal, nxeal).
Frequently asked questions
What does tê tê mean in English?
tê tê (noun) means "pangolin".
How do you pronounce tê tê?
IPA: Hanoi [te˧˧ te˧˧]; Saigon [tej˧˧ tej˧˧]. Tones: tê — level tone (ngang), tê — level tone (ngang).
What classifier is used with tê tê?
Common classifiers: con — for example "một con tê tê" (one pangolin).