cái

See also: Appendix:Variations of "cai"

Contents

MandarinEdit

PronunciationEdit

• audio

  (file)

RomanizationEdit

cái (Zhuyin ㄘㄞˊ)

1. Pinyin transcription of 才, 纔
2. Pinyin transcription of 材
3. Pinyin transcription of 犲
4. Pinyin transcription of 裁
5. Pinyin transcription of 財, 财
6. Pinyin transcription of 溨
7. Pinyin transcription of 㒲

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VietnameseEdit

PronunciationEdit

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

Etymology 1Edit

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 個 (“one thing; classifier”; SV: cá).

ClassifierEdit

cái

1. indicates inanimate noun

   Cái răng cái tóc là vóc con người.

   Essentially, teeth and hair tell how good one looks.

See alsoEdit

• chiếc
• con

NounEdit

cái

1. the solid bits of a broth

   Canh này thì chỉ có nước là ngon, còn cái thì dở ẹc.

   Only the liquid part of this broth tastes good, the solid bits suck.

   (literally, “As for this broth, only the liquid part is good, as for its solid bits, they suck.”)

See alsoEdit

• nước (“liquid; liquid part of a broth”)

Etymology 2Edit

From Proto-Vietic *-keːʔ (“woman; female”); compare gái.

Alternative formsEdit

• cấy

AdjectiveEdit

cái (丐)

1. (of a non-human and non-avian species of animal or plant or their reproductive organs) female
2. (now chiefly in compounds) big, large, main

   sông cái

   the big river

   ngón chân cái

   the big toe

SynonymsEdit

• gái (human)
• nữ
• mái (bird)

Derived termsEdit

• giống cái

See alsoEdit

• con gái
• cô gái
• đàn bà
• phụ nữ
• mái
• đực

PrefixEdit

cái

1. (Northern Vietnam) title affixed to young girls' names, similar to the Japanese suffix -chan

   Cái Bống là cái bống bang

   Khéo sảy khéo sàng cho mẹ nấu cơm

   Mẹ Bống đi chợ đường trơn

   Bống ra gánh đỡ chạy cơn mưa ròng.

   Oh, Little, Little Goby

   Be careful filterin' the rice, so that Mommy can cook it.

   Goby's Mommy has returned from the market on a slippy road

   Goby goes help her carry the pole, to [quickly] get away from the heavy rain.

SynonymsEdit

• con
• nhỏ