Vietnamese edit

Pronunciation edit

Etymology 1 edit

Sino-Vietnamese word from , from Literary Chinese (). () is used for ministries based on historical and modern Chinese models. South Korea also uses (), while feudal Korea used (jo), from Literary Chinese (cáo, agency). North Korea and Japan use (tỉnh), which was a higher type of government agency in feudal China.

Noun edit

bộ

  1. a collection of multiple copies
    bộ bàia deck/pack of cards
  2. (serialized fiction) a series
    bộ truyện
    a novel or comic series
    bộ phim
    a drama or comedy TV series
  3. (government) a ministry
    Bộ Binh / Binh Bộthe Ministry of War
    Bộ Hình / Hình Bộthe Ministry of Justice
    Bộ Giáo dục và Đào tạothe the Ministry of Education and Training
    Bộ Quốc phòng
    the Ministry of Defense
  4. (government) a ministry-level department in countries where the English word ministry is not used
    Bộ Quốc phòng
    the Department of Defense
  5. (taxonomy) an order
  6. (Sinology, especially in compounds with the Sino-Vietnamese names of radicals) Clipping of bộ thủ (a Chinese radical).
    bộ nhân
    the human radical, 亻
Derived terms edit
Derived terms
Related terms edit

Etymology 2 edit

Sino-Vietnamese word from .

Noun edit

bộ

  1. bearing and figure; appearance; carriage; look; gait
  2. (colloquial, often derogatory) capability (judging from one's appearance)
  3. foot (unit of measure equal to twelve inches)
    • 2006, William Dampier, translated by Hoàng Anh Tuấn, Một chuyến du hành đến Đàng Ngoài năm 1688, Hanoi: Thế Giới Publishers, page 29:
      Tôi chưa từng đi trên con sông này nhưng người ta quả quyết với tôi rằng nó sâu hơn 12 bộ ở ngay tại cửa sông.
      I had never been on this river, but they told me it was more than 12 feet deep right at the mouth.
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Derived terms

Adverb edit

bộ

  1. (only in fixed expressions) on foot
    đi/cuốc bộto walk
    đi bộ đến trườngto walk to school
    Tao cuốc bộ muốn lọi giò luôn!
    I walked for so long my legs were literally dying!
    chạy bộto run
    lội bộto wade
    tản bộto stroll
  2. (by extension, only in fixed expressions) on land
    lính thuỷ đánh bộa marine
    giao thông đường bộland traffic

Particle edit

bộ

  1. sentence-initial question particle, is it that? do...? I bet ...
    Bộ tụi bây thấy chán lắm hay sao vậy?
    Do you guys just get seriously bored or what?

Etymology 3 edit

Sino-Vietnamese word from 簿.

Noun edit

bộ

  1. (dated, in compounds) Synonym of bạ (register)
Derived terms edit
Derived terms