See also: vao, vão, and va'o

Vietnamese edit

Alternative forms edit

  • (Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) (no diphthongization)

Etymology edit

From Northern Middle Vietnamese ꞗĕào, ꞗĕaò. Compare the Central-Southern form .

The Northern Old Vietnamese form is attested in Phật thuyết đại báo phụ mẫu ân trọng kinh (佛說大報父母恩重經) as (SV: bao), showing that diphthongization already took place in these dialects by then. The Central-Southern form started showing up on texts much later, spelled chiefly as (SV: ), without diphthongization.

The usage of vào (especially in writing) by speakers of Central-Southern dialects can be contributed to borrowing from Northern dialects. On the other hand, the undiphthongized Southern form with palatal initial latter spread to the Northern and Central dialects as an interjection.

Most prepositions in Vietnamese were originally verbs: cho (to give; for), đến (to come; to), tới (to arrive; to), lên (to go up; onto), (to stay; at, in), theo (to follow; according to), về (to return; about).

Pronunciation edit

Verb edit

vào (𠓨, , 󱚢)

  1. (transitive) to enter
    vào nhàto enter the/a house
    Xe đi vào trung tâm thành phố.
    The car goes into the city center.
  2. (transitive, by extension) to go southwards in Vietnam
    vào nam, ra bắcto go southwards and northwards
    từ Hà Nội vào Huếto go from Hanoi down south to Hue
    vào Sài Gònto go to Ho Chi Minh City from its north
  3. (transitive) to become a member of; to join
    vào hộito join the/an association
    vàoto enter prison; to become a prisoner
  4. (transitive) to join in, to participate in
    vào tiệcto join a party
    vào đámto join the crowd
  5. (transitive) to begin (a new chapter in time)
    vào năm học mớito start a new school year
    vàoto begin one's summer
  6. (transitive) to abide by, to conform to
    vào quy củto work according to a methodology
    vào khuôn phépto abide by a code of conduct
    Công việc đã vào nền nếp.
    The task has become second nature.
  7. (transitive) to attain, to achieve
    Một người thợ vào loại giỏi.
    A worker becomes skilled.
    học vào loại trung bìnhto be average in one's studies
  8. (intransitive, figuratively) to comprehend
    Có tập trung tư tưởng thì học [nó] mới vào.
    Only by concentrating one's thoughts does one comprehend one's studies.
    Đầu óc rối bời, đọc mãi mà [nó] không vào.
    With his/her head in such a jumble, he/she keeps reading but [it] doesn't click.
  9. (intransitive, soccer) (of a ball) to enter the goal
    Sút! Vào!
    He shoots! He scores! [Shoot! It's in!]

Synonyms edit

Antonyms edit

  • (antonym(s) of "to enter"): ra
  • (antonym(s) of "to join"):
  • (antonym(s) of "to join in"):
  • (antonym(s) of "to begin"): xong
  • (antonym(s) of "to abide by"): trái
  • (antonym(s) of "to enter the goal"): chệch

See also edit

Preposition edit

vào (𠓨, , 󱚢)

  1. in, into, upon
    vào tronginside of
    nhìn vào trong nhàto look inside the/a house
    quay mặt vào tườngto turn and look at the wall
    dựa vàobased upon; to base upon
    hướng vàoto go into
  2. during, on
    vào dịp Tếton the occasion of Tet
    vào lúc khó khănduring a time of difficulty

Antonyms edit

Derived terms edit

See also edit

Particle edit

vào (𠓨, , 󱚢)

  1. Used at the end of a clause or sentence to ask the listener to do something vigorously.
    Làm nhanh vào!
    Do it quickly!
    Mặc thật ấm vào kẻo lạnh.
    Dress truly warmly or you'll be cold.
  2. Used at the end of a clause of sentence, usually after lắm or nhiều, to speak critically or reproachfully about excess, implying obvious bad consequences.
    Chơi lắm vào, bây giờ thi trượt.
    Played so much – now your test scores are falling.
    Ăn kẹo cho lắm vào để bị đau bụng.
    You ate so much candy that you got a stomach ache.

References edit