trầu
noun
Hanoi [t͡ɕəw˨˩]Huế [ʈəw˦˩]Saigon [ʈəw˨˩] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
trầu means betel; paan.
Meanings of trầu in English
Noun
- betel
- paan
- bã trầudiscarded (spit out) chewed paans
Noun
- Bình Định and Phú Yên form of trời (“sky, heaven”)
Words with trầu
Idioms and sayings with trầu
- miếng trầu là đầu câu chuyện — paan is a conversation starter
Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)
Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, trầu could be written as 芙, 蒌, 𱾪, 蒥. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Vietic *b-luː, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *ml(əw) (“betel”). Cognate with Bahnar bơlŏu, Mon ဇဗၠူ (həplùˀ) and Khmer ម្លូ (mluu).Compare Chinese 蔞 /蒌 (lâu).
Frequently asked questions
What does trầu mean in English?
trầu (noun) means "betel; paan".
How do you pronounce trầu?
IPA: Hanoi [t͡ɕəw˨˩]; Saigon [ʈəw˨˩]. Tones: trầu — falling tone (huyền).
What classifier is used with trầu?
Common classifiers: cây, lá, miếng — for example "một cây trầu" (one betel).