trêu
Hanoi [t͡ɕew˧˧]Huế [ʈew˧˧]Saigon [ʈew˧˧] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
trêu means to tease; to poke fun.
Meanings of trêu in English
Verb
- Northern Vietnam to tease, to poke fun ≈ chọc
Words with trêu
Example sentences with trêu
- Cô ấy cứ trêu anh ấy suốt thôi. She teased him endlessly.
- Đừng trêu cô ấy. Cô ấy vừa tu cạn ba chai bia đấy. Don't make fun of her. She just chugged three bottles of beer.
- Đừng trêu cô ấy. Cô ấy vừa nốc cạn ba chai bia đấy. Don't make fun of her. She just chugged three bottles of beer.
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, trêu could be written as 嘹, 撩, 𠰉, 繚. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
Attested in the Dictionarium Annamiticum Lusitanum et Latinum (1651) as tlêu. Possibly related to lêu lêu (“to boo”).
Frequently asked questions
What does trêu mean in English?
trêu (verb) means "to tease; to poke fun".
How do you pronounce trêu?
IPA: Hanoi [t͡ɕew˧˧]; Saigon [ʈew˧˧]. Tones: trêu — level tone (ngang).