hoa tay

Vietnamese

Etymology

hoa (“flower”) +‎ tay (“hand”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [hwaː˧˧ taj˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [hwaː˧˧ taj˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [waː˧˧ ta(ː)j˧˧]

Noun

hoa tay

1. dexterity, deftness

   Người có hoa tay ― Dextrous / deft person; literally, “person who possesses dexterity / deftness”

   • c. 1990s, Đậu Kinh Luân (lyrics and music), “Hoa Tay (‘Deftness’)”; 1995 performance by the Singers and Dancers of the Children's House of Ho Chi Minh City

     Mẹ nói, mẹ cuời, mẹ nói rằng: “Ai hay vẽ rồi sẽ vẽ hay.”
     Mẹ nói, mẹ cuời, mẹ nói rằng: “Vẽ hay thì sẽ có hoa tay.”

     Mom laughs and says: “Whoever draws often will draw well.”
     Mom laughs and says: “Whoever draws well will have deftness.”