vây

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

Hanoi [vəj˧˧]Huế [vəj˧˧]Saigon [vəj˧˧] browser voice

Syllables · tones

vâylevelngang

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

vây means fin.

Classifier: cái — e.g. một cái vây (one fin)

Meanings of vây in English

Noun

Verb

to encircle

Words with vây

bao vây bủa vây cờ vây vây hãm vây cánh

Example sentences with vây

Khi người phụ nữ sinh con, cả gia đình cô đã vây quanh cô ấy. When the woman gave birth, her family gathered around her.
Mùi hương tự nhiên của bạn vây quanh tôi như một cái ôm ấm áp. Your natural scent wraps around me like a warm hug.
Nhiều người đã vây xung quanh người bị thương, nhưng khi bác sỹ đến thì họ đã tránh đường cho bác sỹ đi qua. The people crowded round the injured man, but they made way for the doctor when he reached the scene of the accident.

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, vây could be written as 圍, 𡆫, 𩻟, 𩻺. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 圍 (“to surround; to encircle; to corral”, SV: vi).

Frequently asked questions

What does vây mean in English?

vây (noun) means "fin".

How do you pronounce vây?

IPA: Hanoi [vəj˧˧]; Saigon [vəj˧˧]. Tones: vây — level tone (ngang).

What classifier is used with vây?

Common classifiers: cái — for example "một cái vây" (one fin).

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.