hay chữ

Vietnamese

Etymology

hay (“to know; to be knowledgeable”) +‎ chữ (“Chinese characters; words”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [haj˧˧ t͡ɕɨ˦ˀ˥]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [haj˧˧ t͡ɕɨ˧˨]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ha(ː)j˧˧ cɨ˨˩˦]

Adjective

hay chữ

1. (literary or historical) scholastically knowledgeable; well-versed in literature

Usage notes

• Usually applied to Confucian scholars.