mấy
See also: Appendix:Variations of "may"
Vietnamese
editAlternative forms
edit- (Internet slang, text messaging) mí
Etymology
editFrom Proto-Vietic *ɓǝlʔ.
Pronunciation
edit- (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [məj˧˦]
- (Huế) IPA(key): [məj˨˩˦]
- (Saigon) IPA(key): [məj˦˥]
Audio (Hà Nội): (file)
Determiner
edit- some, an indefinite quantity greater than one
Usage notes
edit- Colloquially, mấy often replaces những and các as plural marker in many situations, but in formal writing, it rarely ever takes that role.
- Plural marking is not always grammatically required in Vietnamese like in many Indo-European languages and can be omitted in many situations.
- Sometimes deliberately spelled mí to convey informality on the Internet although the word is rarely (if ever) pronounced as such in real life.
Adverb
editSee also
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