thư

See also: thu, thù, thủ, thú, thụ, thừ, thử, and thứ

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [tʰɨ˧˧]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [tʰɨ˧˧]
(Saigon) IPA^(key): [tʰɨ˧˧]
Audio (Hà Nội): (file)
Homophone: Thư

Etymology 1

Sino-Vietnamese word from 書 (“document; letter”).

Alternative forms

(Southern Vietnam, obsolete) thơ

Noun

(classifier bức, lá) thư

(post) a letter
hòm thư điện tử ― an e-mail

Affix

thư

(dated or historical) a document, book or compilation
chứng minh thư
an identity card

Hậu Hán thư ― the Book of (Later) Han

Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư ― Complete Annals of Đại Việt

Usage notes

In Chinese, 書 / 书 (shū) ambiguously means "book", "document" or "letter". In Vietnamese, the senses of "book" and "document" are only fossilized and not productive. The free noun only means "letter". For the free noun meaning "book", use sách instead.

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Sino-Vietnamese word from 舒.

Adjective

thư

(only in compounds) inactive, idle, unoccupied, free

Synonyms

(inactive): rảnh, rảnh rỗi

Derived terms

Adverb

thư

leisurely, unhurriedly, deliberately, at leisure

Synonyms

(leisurely): thong thả

Antonyms

(antonym(s) of “leisurely”): bức bách

Etymology 3

Sino-Vietnamese word from 姐.

Noun

thư

(literary, otherwise rare or obsolete) elder sister
Synonym: chị

References

"thư" in Hồ Ngọc Đức, Free Vietnamese Dictionary Project (details)