vô
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
vô means to enter; to go into.
Meanings of vô in English
Verb
- Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam to enter; to go into ≈ vào
- Vô nhà lấy con dao cho ba mày làm cá coi cu Thắng.Thắng boy, go inside and fetch the knife so that your dad can start preparing some fish.
- Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam to toast
- Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam to go southwards in Vietnam
Particle
- Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam emphasizing sentence-ending particle ≈ vào
- Uống cho lắm vô! Giờ đau đầu!You drank yourself to death and now you're wondering why you're having a headache!
- Mại vô!Check it out, guys!
Preposition
- in, into, upon
- Nhìn vô nhà coi, có ai hông?Did you see anyone when you looked into the house?
Interjection
- cheers! (common toast used when drinking)
- Một, hai, ba, dzô!One, two, three, cheers!
Prefix
- prefixing nouns to form adjectives without, -less, un-, in- ≈ không
- vô văn hoáill-mannered
- vô tác dụngineffective
Words with vô
Idioms and sayings with vô
- hoạ vô đơn chí — misfortunes never come singly; it never rains but it pours
- hữu thuỷ vô chung — to have a beginning but not an end
Synonyms and antonyms of vô
Antonyms
Example sentences with vô
- Đây là đồng hồ chống vô nước. This is a waterproof watch.
- Cái xe đã đụng vô tường. The car crashed into the wall.
- Phúc bất trùng lai, họa vô đơn chí. When it rains, it pours.
- Cẩn tắc vô áy náy. Better safe than sorry.
- Sắp vô tiết rồi. Classes are starting again soon.
- Nhân vô thập toàn. Even the worthy Homer sometimes nods.
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, vô could be written as 無, 𱍺, 𠓺. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
Undiphthongized equivalent of Northern vào.
Frequently asked questions
What does vô mean in English?
vô (verb) means "to enter; to go into".
How do you pronounce vô?
IPA: Hanoi [vo˧˧]; Saigon [vow˧˧]. Tones: vô — level tone (ngang).
Is vô a Sino-Vietnamese word?
Yes. vô is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 無.