xài

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

Hanoi [saːj˨˩]Huế [saːj˦˩]Saigon [saːj˨˩] browser voice

Syllables · tones

xàifallinghuyền

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

xài means to use; to spend.

Meanings of xài in English

Verb

Southern Vietnam, colloquial, informal to use
Southern Vietnam, colloquial, informal to spend (money)

Words with xài

tiêu xài xài phí

Synonyms and antonyms of xài

Synonyms

dùng sử dụng

Example sentences with xài

Tui không muốn xài nhiều hơn 10 Đô. I don't want to spend more than $10.
Tui phải tính xem tuần sau tui sẽ xài bao nhiêu tiền. I must calculate how much money I'll spend next week.

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, xài could be written as 𫶰. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

Possibly related to Khmer ចាយ (caay), Ruching Palaung chāī, Cantonese 使 (sai2, “to use; to spend (money)”), 嘥 (saai1).

Frequently asked questions

What does xài mean in English?

xài (verb) means "to use; to spend".

How do you pronounce xài?

IPA: Hanoi [saːj˨˩]; Saigon [saːj˨˩]. Tones: xài — falling tone (huyền).

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.