thìa
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
thìa means spoon.
Meanings of thìa in English
Noun
- Northern Vietnam spoon (scooped utensil for eating or serving) ≈ muỗng
Words with thìa
Example sentences with thìa
- Chúng ta dùng thìa để ăn xúp. We use spoons to eat soup.
- Chúng tôi dùng thìa để ăn xúp. We use spoons to eat soup.
- Chúng tôi ăn súp bằng thìa. We eat soup with a spoon.
- Không có thìa. There is no spoon.
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, thìa could be written as 𠤧, 𣼮, 𨫉. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Usage note: thìa
thìa is the Northern word for "spoon"; the South says muỗng.
- Anh có thìa không? — Do you have a spoon?
- hai thìa nước mắm — two spoons of fish sauce
- thìa cà phê — teaspoon
In Hanoi street food places, cutlery sits in a box on the table: đũa, thìa, and sometimes dĩa (fork). Wiping them with a napkin before eating is a common habit, not an insult to the restaurant.
Etymology
Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 匙 (“spoon”, SV: thi). Doublet of chìa.
Frequently asked questions
What does thìa mean in English?
thìa (noun) means "spoon".
How do you pronounce thìa?
IPA: Hanoi [tʰiə˨˩]; Saigon [tʰiə˨˩]. Tones: thìa — falling tone (huyền).
What classifier is used with thìa?
Common classifiers: cái, chiếc — for example "một cái thìa" (one spoon).