trời ạ

Level ≈B2 (approx.) interjection Top 5,000 most common

Hanoi [t͡ɕəːj˨˩ ʔaː˧˨ʔ]Huế [ʈəːj˦˩ ʔaː˨˩ʔ]Saigon [ʈəːj˨˩ ʔaː˨˩˨] browser voice

Syllables · tones

trờifallinghuyền ạheavynặng

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

trời ạ means for heaven's sake; for God's sake; for Christ's sake.

Meanings of trời ạ in English

Interjection

for heaven's sake; for God's sake; for Christ's sake; for Pete's sake; for goodness' sake
- Trời ạ! Đã bảo là đừng có động vào đồ của người ta mà không chịu nghe !Oh for heaven's sake! I told you not to touch my stuff and you didn't listen!

Example sentences with trời ạ

Trời ạ, sai bét luôn. Boy, was I wrong.
Trời ạ, tôi không lấy cái xe chết tiệt của cô! I didn't take your bloody car, for crying out loud!
Trời ạ! Darn it!
Tao không lấy cái ô tô chết tiệt của mày, trời ạ! I didn't take your bloody car, for crying out loud!

Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).

Etymology

trời (“heaven”) + ạ (politeness particle).

Frequently asked questions

What does trời ạ mean in English?

trời ạ (interjection) means "for heaven's sake; for God's sake; for Christ's sake".

How do you pronounce trời ạ?

IPA: Hanoi [t͡ɕəːj˨˩ ʔaː˧˨ʔ]; Saigon [ʈəːj˨˩ ʔaː˨˩˨]. Tones: trời — falling tone (huyền), ạ — heavy tone (nặng).

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited; example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). IPA shown for three accents: Hanoi (Northern), Huế (Central) and Saigon (Southern). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice, for reference only. Levels are approximate, estimated from word frequency. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.