White nights, and other stories — Page 5

Vocabulary

Tôi

Tôi — First person singular pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me'

thậm

thậm — Used in 'thậm chí' meaning 'even' or 'to the extent'

chí

chí — Used in 'thậm chí' meaning 'even'; also means 'will'

còn

còn — Still, yet, or also; indicates continuation or addition

nghĩ

nghĩ — To think, consider, or reflect on something

đến

đến — To come to, arrive at, or reach a place

việc

việc — Work, task, matter, or affair to be dealt with

cho

cho — To give, allow, or for the benefit of someone

gọi

gọi — To call, summon, or address someone by name

và

và — Conjunction meaning 'and', connecting words or phrases

đang

đang — Indicates ongoing present action, similar to '-ing' form

ban

ban — To grant or bestow; also a group or committee

cô

cô — Young woman; aunt; used as polite address for women

ta

ta — Third person pronoun 'she/he/they'; also 'we/us'

những

những — Plural marker for nouns indicating multiple items

lời

lời — Words, speech, or a piece of advice or saying

khuyên

khuyên — To advise, counsel, or recommend a course of action

răn

răn — To admonish, warn, or caution someone against behavior

kiểu

kiểu — Style, type, pattern, or manner of doing something

cha

cha — Father; also used to address older male figures

chú

chú — Uncle; polite address for middle-aged men

về

về — About, concerning; also to return home or a place

mạng

mạng — Life, network, or the internet; web in spider context

nhện

nhện — Spider, the small arachnid that spins webs

sự

sự — Nominalizer prefix turning verbs into abstract nouns

bừa

bừa — Messy, disorderly, or carelessly done

bộn

bộn — Cluttered, messy; used in 'bừa bộn' meaning untidy

nói

nói — To speak, talk, or say something to someone

chung

chung — General, common, or shared among a group

nhưng

nhưng — Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing a contrasting clause

chỉ

chỉ — Only, merely, just; restricts scope of a statement

trừng

trừng — To glare or stare intensely, often with displeasure

mắt

mắt — Eye; the organ of sight in humans and animals

nhìn

nhìn — To look at, gaze, or observe something or someone

tôi

tôi — First person singular pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me'

với

với — With, together with; preposition indicating accompaniment

vẻ

vẻ — Appearance, expression, or look on someone's face

ngạc

ngạc — Used in 'ngạc nhiên' meaning surprised or astonished

nhiên

nhiên — Used in 'ngạc nhiên' meaning surprised; 'tự nhiên' natural

rồi

rồi — Already, then, afterward; indicates completion of action

bỏ

bỏ — To abandon, leave, drop, or give something up

đi

đi — To go, walk, or move away from a place

mà

mà — But, yet, while; contrastive or emphatic conjunction

không

không — No, not; negation word in Vietnamese sentences

một

một — One; the number one or article 'a/an'

nỗi

nỗi — A feeling, worry, or inner emotional state

vẫn

vẫn — Still, as before; indicates unchanged ongoing state

cứ

cứ — Keep on, continue to; indicates persistent action

thoải

thoải — Used in 'thoải mái' meaning comfortable or relaxed

mái

mái — Used in 'thoải mái' meaning comfortable, at ease

treo

treo — To hang, suspend something from above a surface

nguyên

nguyên — Original, intact, unchanged; remaining in original place

chỗ

chỗ — Place, spot, location where something or someone is

cũ

cũ — Old, former, used, or previous; not new

tận

tận — Until, up to, all the way to a point

ngày

ngày — Day; a unit of time lasting twenty-four hours

hôm

hôm — Day; used in 'hôm nay' (today) and similar expressions

nay

nay — Now, today; used in 'hôm nay' meaning today

Mãi

Mãi — Forever, always, continuously; indicates prolonged duration

sáng

sáng — Morning; also means bright or light in color

mới

mới — New, just now, only then; indicates recency

hiểu

hiểu — To understand, comprehend, or grasp a concept

ra

ra — Out, to realize; directional verb particle outward

điều

điều — Thing, matter, point; refers to an abstract issue

gì

gì — What; interrogative or indefinite pronoun in Vietnamese

ổn

ổn — Fine, okay, stable; indicates something is alright

Ôi

Ôi — Oh! Exclamation expressing surprise, dismay, or emotion

trời

trời — Sky, heaven, God; used in exclamations of surprise

Thì

Thì — Then, well; discourse particle linking clauses causally

họ

họ — They, them; third person plural pronoun in Vietnamese

lén

lén — Sneakily, stealthily; doing something without being noticed

lút

lút — Used in 'lén lút' meaning secretive or sneaky behavior

trốn

trốn — To hide, escape, or sneak away from somewhere

kéo

kéo — To pull, drag; also to move together as a group

nhau

nhau — Each other, one another; indicates mutual or reciprocal action

biệt

biệt — To separate, part; used in 'biệt thự' (villa)

thự

thự — Used in 'biệt thự' meaning villa or mansion

nghỉ

nghỉ — To rest, take a break, or go on vacation

hè

hè — Summer; the hot season of the year

của

của — Of, belonging to; possessive particle in Vietnamese

Xin

Xin — To request politely; please; used in formal apologies

thứ

thứ — Forgiveness in 'thứ lỗi'; also ordinal number marker

lỗi

lỗi — Fault, error, mistake; used in apologies

lối

lối — Way, manner, style of doing or expressing something

diễn

diễn — To express, perform, or present ideas or emotions

đạt

đạt — To achieve, attain; in 'diễn đạt' means to express

tầm

tầm — Level, range, ordinary; in 'tầm thường' means mediocre

thường

thường — Common, ordinary, usual; 'tầm thường' means mediocre

có

có — To have, exist, there is/are; affirmative verb

tâm

tâm — Heart, mind, spirit; center of emotion and thought

trạng

trạng — State, condition; 'tâm trạng' means mood or mental state

để

để — To put, let, in order to; purpose preposition

dùng

dùng — To use, employ, or make use of something

ngôn

ngôn — Language, speech, words; used in 'ngôn từ' (wording)

từ

từ — Word, from; 'ngôn từ' means language or wording

hoa

hoa — Flower; also elegant, flowery as in ornate language

mỹ

mỹ — Beautiful; 'hoa mỹ' means flowery or ornate language

vì

vì — Because, for the sake of; causal conjunction

tất

tất — All, every; used in 'tất cả' meaning everything/everyone

cả

cả — All, entire; 'tất cả' means all or everything

từng

từng — Each, every; formerly, once, used to do something

ở

ở — To live, stay, be located at a place

đều

đều — All, equally, without exception; universal quantifier

đã

đã — Past tense marker indicating completed action or event

hoặc

hoặc — Or; presents an alternative or choice between options

lễ

lễ — Ceremony, festival, ritual; also polite manners

mỗi

mỗi — Each, every; refers to individual members of a group

quý

quý — Precious, esteemed; used respectfully to address others

ông

ông — Mister, sir; grandfather; polite address for older men

đáng

đáng — Worthy, deserving; 'đáng kính' means respectable

kính

kính — Respect, reverence; 'đáng kính' means worthy of respect

ngoài

ngoài — Outside, beyond, in addition to something

trang

trang — Page; also dignified as in 'trang nghiêm'

nghiêm

nghiêm — Strict, solemn, dignified; 'trang nghiêm' means solemn

nào

nào — Which, any; interrogative or indefinite determiner

bước

bước — To step, walk; a step or stride in movement

lên

lên — To go up, get on; upward directional verb particle

xe

xe — Vehicle, car, bicycle; general word for transport

ngựa

ngựa — Horse; 'xe ngựa' means horse-drawn carriage

thuê

thuê — To rent, hire; to use something in exchange for payment

lập

lập — To establish; 'lập tức' means immediately

tức

tức — Immediately; also angry; 'lập tức' means right away

biến

biến — To change, transform, or disappear suddenly

đổi

đổi — To change, exchange; 'biến đổi' means to transform

trong

trong — Inside, within, in; preposition of location

thành

thành — To become, turn into; city or wall

người

người — Person, human being, people; classifier for humans

chủ

chủ — Owner, master, host; head of a household

gia

gia — Family, household; used in 'gia đình' meaning family

đình

đình — Family; 'gia đình' means family or household

sau

sau — After, behind, later; indicates time or position

khi

khi — When, after; temporal conjunction or adverb

hoàn

hoàn — To complete, finish; 'hoàn công' means to complete work

công

công — Work, labor; public; 'hoàn công' means finishing work

trên

trên — On, above, on top of; spatial preposition

đường

đường — Road, street, path; way to somewhere

trở

trở — To return, turn; 'trở về' means to come back

thân

thân — Dear, close, intimate; body; 'thân yêu' means beloved

yêu

yêu — To love; beloved; 'thân yêu' means dear or loved

qua

qua — To pass, go through, across; over a period of time

bây

bây — Used in 'bây giờ' meaning now or at this moment

giờ

giờ — Hour, time; 'bây giờ' means now or currently

mang

mang — To carry, bring, bear; to have a quality or trait

khác

khác — Different, other, another; distinct from something else

lạ

lạ — Strange, unusual, foreign; unfamiliar to the senses

đặc

đặc — Special, particular; thick; 'đặc biệt' means especially

dường

dường — Seems, appears; 'dường như' means it seems that

như

như — Like, as, as if; used for comparisons and appearances

muốn

muốn — To want, desire, wish for something or to do something

ai

ai — Who, someone, anyone; interrogative or indefinite pronoun

gặp

gặp — To meet, encounter someone unexpectedly or by arrangement

rằng

rằng — That; introduces a quoted or reported speech clause

Chúng

Chúng — We, they; plural pronoun for people or things

đây

đây — Here, this place; demonstrative adverb of location

nhất

nhất — Most, first, number one; superlative marker

thời

thời — Time, period, era; 'nhất thời' means temporary

thôi

thôi — Only, just, that's all; softening or concluding particle

thưa

thưa — Respectful address term; sparse; to speak formally

các

các — Plural marker for people or things; all of them

hai

hai — Two; the number 2 in Vietnamese

tiếng

tiếng — Hour, sound, language, voice; unit of time informally

nữa

nữa — More, another, again; indicates addition or continuation

chúng

chúng — We, they; plural pronoun referring to a group

sẽ

sẽ — Will, shall; future tense marker in Vietnamese