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thầy cãi

noun
Hanoi [tʰəj˨˩ kaːj˦ˀ˥]Huế [tʰəj˦˩ kaːj˧˨]Saigon [tʰəj˨˩ kaːj˨˩˦] browser voice
Syllables · tones
thầyfallinghuyềncãicreaky risingngã

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

thầy cãi means lawyer; cãi.

Meanings of thầy cãi in English

Noun

  1. informal lawyer (a legal layman who argues points of law)
  2. ironic Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see thầy, cãi.
  3. dated, informal lawyer (professional person authorized to practice law)

Etymology

thầy + cãi.

Frequently asked questions

What does thầy cãi mean in English?

thầy cãi (noun) means "lawyer; cãi".

How do you pronounce thầy cãi?

IPA: Hanoi [tʰəj˨˩ kaːj˦ˀ˥]; Saigon [tʰəj˨˩ kaːj˨˩˦]. Tones: thầy — falling tone (huyền), cãi — creaky rising tone (ngã).

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited. IPA shown for three accents: Hanoi (Northern), Huế (Central) and Saigon (Southern). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice, for reference only. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.