tự vệ

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

Hanoi [tɨ˧˨ʔ ve˧˨ʔ]Huế [tɨ˨˩ʔ vej˨˩ʔ]Saigon [tɨ˨˩˨ vej˨˩˨] browser voice

Syllables · tones

tựheavynặng vệheavynặng

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

tự vệ means to use self-defense.

Chinese characters: 自衛 (自 “self” + 衛 “defense”)

Meanings of tự vệ in English

Verb

to use self-defense

Noun

self-defense
a self-defense force; paramilitary; grassroots (reserve) militia

Example sentences with tự vệ

Tom tham gia vào lớp học tự vệ. Tom took a class in self-defense.
Tôi có thể tự vệ. I can defend myself.
Tôi đã tự vệ. I defended myself.

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

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 自衛, composed of 自 (“self”) and 衛 (“defense”).

Frequently asked questions

What does tự vệ mean in English?

tự vệ (verb) means "to use self-defense".

How do you pronounce tự vệ?

IPA: Hanoi [tɨ˧˨ʔ ve˧˨ʔ]; Saigon [tɨ˨˩˨ vej˨˩˨]. Tones: tự — heavy tone (nặng), vệ — heavy tone (nặng).

Is tự vệ a Sino-Vietnamese word?

Yes. tự vệ is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 自衛.

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.