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thám tử

Level ≈B2 (approx.) noun Sino-Vietnamese Top 5,000 most common
Hanoi [tʰaːm˧˦ tɨ˧˩]Huế [tʰaːm˦˧˥ tɨ˧˨]Saigon [tʰaːm˦˥ tɨ˨˩˦] browser voice
Syllables · tones

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

thám tử means detective.

Chinese characters: 探子 Classifier: vị — e.g. một vị thám tử (one detective)

Meanings of thám tử in English

Noun

  1. detective
  2. obsolete spy; scout

Example sentences with thám tử

  • Tom là thám tử. Tom is a detective.
  • Nancy Drew là một trong những nữ thám tử nổi tiếng nhất. Nancy Drew is one of the best-known girl detectives.
  • Nó cứ ra vẻ mình là một thám tử. Chắc nó đọc quá nhiều truyện trinh thám rồi. He behaved as if he were a detective; I think he reads too many detective stories.
  • Anh ta cứ hành động giống như một thám tử. Tôi nghĩ chắc anh ta đọc quá nhiều truyện trinh thám rồi. He behaved as if he were a detective; I think he reads too many detective stories.

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

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 探子 (“scout; spy”).

Frequently asked questions

What does thám tử mean in English?

thám tử (noun) means "detective".

How do you pronounce thám tử?

IPA: Hanoi [tʰaːm˧˦ tɨ˧˩]; Saigon [tʰaːm˦˥ tɨ˨˩˦]. Tones: thám — rising tone (sắc), tử — dipping tone (hỏi).

Is thám tử a Sino-Vietnamese word?

Yes. thám tử is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 探子.

What classifier is used with thám tử?

Common classifiers: vị — for example "một vị thám tử" (one detective).

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.