thôi

See also: thối, thổi, and thời

Vietnamese

FWOTD – 20 December 2022

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [tʰoj˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [tʰoj˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [tʰoj˧˧]

Etymology 1

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 退 (SV: thối, thoái).

For the tonal correspondence, see other post-reconstructed Old Chinese, pre-Middle Chinese loans such as bèn, buôn, chung, cùng, where words with Vietnamese A/bằng tones correspond to Qieyun system tone C/去聲／去声 (qùshēng). Particularly compare đôi (“pair”), which exhibits the exact same correspondence in the rime as with thôi.

Alternative forms

• (Internet slang, text messaging) thui

Noun

thôi • (催)

1. a long while

Verb

thôi • (催)

1. to stop (forever); to cease; to discontinue; to quit
   • 1957, Đoàn Giỏi, chapter 2, in Đất rừng phương Nam, Kim Đồng Publishing House:

     Thấy tôi không muốn nói, bà ta cũng thôi không hỏi.

     Seeing that I didn't want to tell, she also stopped asking.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• thôi nôi

 

Interjection

thôi • (催)

1. Used sentence-initially to express a polite negative: that's it; enough

Particle

thôi • (催)

1. (colloquial, used sentence-finally) that's all; merely; only; just
2. (colloquial, used sentence-initially) introduces a new statement that contradicts previously stated statement(s)

Usage notes

(particle):

• As a particle used initially in sentences, thôi is often used with mà and thì, as mà thôi and thôi thì.
• Also, when used as a sentence-initial particle, the sentence-final particles đi and thôi ("that's all; merely; only") are usually utilized to clarify the quantity mentioned in the new statement compared to the previous statement:

  Thôi cho hai phần đi.

  On second thought, I want to order two portions (I originally ordered just one portion).

  Thôi cho hai phần thôi.

  On second thought, I want to order two portions (I originally ordered three or more portions).

(pronunciation):

• Colloquially, thôi is one of the instances where aspirated stops sometimes shift into just /h/ in Vietnamese, so that thôi is pronounced as hôi. Compare also hông (from không).
• Sometimes deliberately spelled thui to convey informality on the Internet although the word is rarely (if ever) pronounced as such in real life. Compare rùi (from rồi).

Etymology 2

Verb

thôi

1. to discolour