thì
Hanoi [tʰi˨˩]Huế [tʰɪj˦˩]Saigon [tʰɪj˨˩] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
thì means then; as for (topic marker).
Chinese characters: 時
Meanings of thì in English
Particle
- informal in that case, then ...; well, then ...
- as for ..., it is/does/will ...
- tham thì thâmGreed will lead to one's downfall
- Hỏi nó thử xem. Tao thì sao cũng được.Try asking him about it. I'm all for it.
- Có chí thì nên.So long as you have your will, you will achieve greatness.
Noun
- a tense
- thì quá khứpast tense
- the prime time in terms of physical development
- đến thì/dậy thìto hit puberty
- alternative form of thời (“time; period”)
- dăm thì mười hoạseldom
Words with thì
Example sentences with thì
- Nhỡ cô ấy từ chối thì sao? And what if she rejects me?
- Mày làm cái đéo gì thì làm. Do whatever the fuck you want.
- Bạn thích làm gì thì làm đi! Do as you like.
- Khi đói thì ăn gì cũng ngon. Hunger is the best sauce.
- Cuối cùng thì anh ấy đã tới. At last, he came.
- Ở nhà thì mọi chuyện vẫn ổn. Everything is all right at home.
- Phò thì vẫn mãi là phò thôi! A cunt remains a cunt!
- Xe hơi thì nhanh hơn xe đạp. A car is faster than a bicycle.
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, thì could be written as 辰, 𬀦, 时, 𠱾. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
Sino-Vietnamese word from 時 (“time”). Doublet of thời and giờ.
Frequently asked questions
What does thì mean in English?
thì (particle) means "then; as for (topic marker)".
How do you pronounce thì?
IPA: Hanoi [tʰi˨˩]; Saigon [tʰɪj˨˩]. Tones: thì — falling tone (huyền).
Is thì a Sino-Vietnamese word?
Yes. thì is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 時.