thanh ngã
noun
Hanoi [tʰajŋ̟˧˧ ŋaː˦ˀ˥]Huế [tʰɛɲ˧˧ ŋaː˧˨]Saigon [tʰan˧˧ ŋaː˨˩˦] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
Meanings of thanh ngã in English
Noun
- the “broken rising tone” that occurs in the word ngã as a distinctive tone contour in Northern Vietnamese, phonetically marked by a rise in pitch interrupted by a glottal closure, and orthographically marked by the dấu ngã (“tilde”) above a vowel letter
Etymology
thanh (“tone”) + ngã (“to fall; to tumble”). The word ngã literally refers to a person's tripping or collapsing, not the "fall" in pitch of a phonetic "falling" tone contour.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce thanh ngã?
IPA: Hanoi [tʰajŋ̟˧˧ ŋaː˦ˀ˥]; Saigon [tʰan˧˧ ŋaː˨˩˦]. Tones: thanh — level tone (ngang), ngã — creaky rising tone (ngã).