tốn kém

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

Hanoi [ton˧˦ kɛm˧˦]Huế [toŋ˦˧˥ kɛm˦˧˥]Saigon [toŋ˦˥ kɛm˦˥] browser voice

Syllables · tones

tốnrisingsắc kémrisingsắc

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

tốn kém means expensive; pricey; extravagant.

Meanings of tốn kém in English

Adjective

expensive; pricey; extravagant
- tiêu xài tốn kémto spend large sums of money

Example sentences with tốn kém

Đám cưới tốn kém. Weddings are expensive.
Đây là trận động đất tốn kém nhất thế giới. This is the world's most costly earthquake.
Thiền định không tốn kém gì cả, nhưng phải mất thời gian. Meditation doesn't cost anything, but it takes time.

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

Etymology

tốn + kém.

Frequently asked questions

What does tốn kém mean in English?

tốn kém (adjective) means "expensive; pricey; extravagant".

How do you pronounce tốn kém?

IPA: Hanoi [ton˧˦ kɛm˧˦]; Saigon [toŋ˦˥ kɛm˦˥]. Tones: tốn — rising tone (sắc), kém — 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.