tinh trùng
Vietnamese edit
Etymology edit
Sino-Vietnamese word from 精蟲, composed of 精 (“sperm”) and 蟲 (“animal”).
Pronunciation edit
- (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [tïŋ˧˧ t͡ɕʊwŋ͡m˨˩]
- (Huế) IPA(key): [tɨn˧˧ ʈʊwŋ͡m˦˩]
- (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [tɨn˧˧ ʈʊwŋ͡m˨˩]
Noun edit
- (cytology) a sperm cell
Usage notes edit
- Due to the tadpole-like appearance of spermatozoa, the word is sometimes used with the classifier con in informal speech. In formal and scientific contexts, the noun is often not accompanied by any classifier.