vảy

noun

Hanoi [vaj˧˩]Huế [vaj˧˨]Saigon [va(ː)j˨˩˦] browser voice

Syllables · tones

vảydippinghỏi

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

vảy means scales.

Classifier: tấm, miếng — e.g. một tấm vảy (one scales)

Meanings of vảy in English

Noun

scales
- làm vảy/đánh vảyto descale (a fish)

Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)

Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, vảy could be written as 𩷳, 𩺩, 𪨖. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

From Proto-Vietic *k-pas (“scale”). Compare Muong Bi pách.

Frequently asked questions

What does vảy mean in English?

vảy (noun) means "scales".

How do you pronounce vảy?

IPA: Hanoi [vaj˧˩]; Saigon [va(ː)j˨˩˦]. Tones: vảy — dipping tone (hỏi).

What classifier is used with vảy?

Common classifiers: tấm, miếng — for example "một tấm vảy" (one scales).

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