xưa kia

adverb

Hanoi [sɨə˧˧ kiə˧˧]Huế [sɨə˧˧ kiə˧˧]Saigon [sɨə˧˧ kiə˧˧] browser voice

Syllables · tones

xưalevelngang kialevelngang

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

xưa kia means formerly; in the past.

Meanings of xưa kia in English

Adverb

formerly; in the past ≈ ngày xưa

Etymology

xưa + kia.

Frequently asked questions

What does xưa kia mean in English?

xưa kia (adverb) means "formerly; in the past".

How do you pronounce xưa kia?

IPA: Hanoi [sɨə˧˧ kiə˧˧]; Saigon [sɨə˧˧ kiə˧˧]. Tones: xưa — level tone (ngang), kia — level tone (ngang).

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.