bằng

See also: bang, bàng, bâng, bāng, băng, bảng, and bǎng

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɓaŋ˨˩]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɓaŋ˦˩]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ʔɓaŋ˨˩]

Etymology 1

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 平 (“level; even”; SV: bình), from Proto-Vietic *baŋ (“flat; even”)

Adjective

bằng (平, 評, 甭, 錋)

1. (of a surface) flat
2. (linguistics, poetry, of a tone) being a ngang or huyền tone

   Antonym: trắc

3. (poetry, of a rhyme) carrying a bằng tone

Preposition

bằng

1. (mathematics) equal to; equals

   một cộng một bằng hai

   one plus one equal to two

Derived terms

• đồng bằng
• công bằng

Etymology 2

Sino-Vietnamese word from 憑 (“rely on; on the basis of; by the means of; certificate; diploma”).

Noun

bằng

1. diploma; certificate; license; degree

Synonyms

• bằng cấp

Derived terms

• bằng cấp (“diploma”)
• bằng lái xe (“driver’s license”)

See also

• giấy phép

Preposition

bằng

1. by; by means of

   bằng đường bộ ― by land

   bằng ô tô ― by car

   bằng tiếng Việt ― in Vietnamese

2. made of

   bức tường bằng gạch

   a wall of bricks; a brick wall