hà cớ gì

Vietnamese

Alternative forms

• hà cớ chi

Etymology

Chinese 何故 (hà cố, “why”, literally “what reason”) + gì or chi (“what”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [haː˨˩ kəː˧˦ zi˨˩]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [haː˦˩ kəː˨˩˦ jɪj˦˩]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [haː˨˩ kəː˦˥ jɪj˨˩]

Phrase

hà cớ gì

1. (colloquial) why the hell; why in the world; why in God's name

   Synonym: tật bệnh chi

   Hà cớ gì mà cứ chạy ra chạy vô hoài ?!

   Why the hell do you keep running around constantly like a maniac?!

Usage notes

This term is typically followed by mà.