sơn

See also: Appendix:Variations of "son"

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [səːn˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʂəːŋ˧˧] ~ [səːŋ˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ʂəːŋ˧˧] ~ [səːŋ˧˧]

• Audio (Hồ Chí Minh City)

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Proto-Vietic *k-rəːn (“black varnish tree”). Cognate with Tho [Cuối Chăm] kʰrəːn¹.

Noun

(classifier cây (“the tree”)) sơn • (杣)

1. paint

   Tốt gỗ hơn tốt nước sơn.
   Xấu người đẹp nết còn hơn đẹp người.

   Good wood is better than good gloss.
   Ugliness with good character is better than beauty.

2. Toxicodendron succedaneum

See also

Derived terms

• keo sơn
• sơn dầu (“oil paint”)
• sơn mài
• thợ sơn

 

Etymology 2

Sino-Vietnamese word from 山.

Alternative forms

• san

Affix

sơn

1. mountain

Usage notes

• The reading san occurs only in a few compounds, most prominently giang san (“rivers and mountains”).

Derived terms

Derived terms

• giang sơn
• sơn dương
• sơn thạch
• sơn thủy
• xuyên sơn