xám

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

Hanoi [saːm˧˦]Huế [saːm˦˧˥]Saigon [saːm˦˥] browser voice

Syllables · tones

xámrisingsắc

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

xám means ash-coloured; grey.

Meanings of xám in English

Adjective

ash-coloured; grey

Words with xám

chất xám hùm xám xám xịt

Example sentences with xám

Tôi thích vẹt xám Úc. I love cockatiels.
Con chuột này màu xám. That mouse is grey.
Bạn có thấy đứa trẻ nào mặc áo sọc xám và trắng không? Have you seen a little child wearing a grey‑and‑white striped shirt?

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, xám could be written as 監, 藍. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

Possible doublet of sạm/xạm (“tanned”) and rám (“to be tanned”).

Frequently asked questions

What does xám mean in English?

xám (adjective) means "ash-coloured; grey".

How do you pronounce xám?

IPA: Hanoi [saːm˧˦]; Saigon [saːm˦˥]. Tones: xám — rising tone (sắc).

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.