White nights, and other stories — Page 14

Vocabulary

Tôi

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

thường

thuong — Usually, often, or commonly occurring

bịa

bia — To fabricate, make up, or invent falsely

ra

ra — Out, to produce or bring forth something

những

nhung — Plural marker for nouns, meaning 'those' or 'some'

chuyện

chuyen — Story, matter, or topic of conversation

tình

tinh — Love, romantic feeling, or affection

lãng

lang — Romantic, dreamy, or wandering in feeling

mạn

man — Romantic or leisurely; used with lãng as 'romantic'

trong

trong — In, inside, or within a place or context

giấc

giac — A period of sleep or a dream episode

mơ

mo — To dream; a dream or wishful vision

của

cua — Possessive particle meaning 'of' or 'belonging to'

mình

minh — Oneself, or informal first/second person pronoun

À

A — Exclamation expressing realization or mild surprise

cô

co — Young woman; polite second person pronoun for females

không

khong — No, not; negation particle in Vietnamese

biết

biet — To know, to be aware of something

tôi

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

đâu

dau — Where; also used for negation or emphasis

Dĩ

Di — Part of 'dĩ nhiên' meaning 'of course' or 'naturally'

nhiên

nhien — Part of 'dĩ nhiên'; naturally or of course

đã

da — Past tense marker indicating a completed action

gặp

gap — To meet or encounter someone in person

hai

hai — The number two

ba

ba — The number three

người

nguoi — Person, people, or human being

phụ

phu — Female, auxiliary; part of 'phụ nữ' meaning woman

nữ

nu — Female; used in 'phụ nữ' meaning woman or women

nhưng

nhung — But, however; conjunction showing contrast

họ

ho — They, them; third person plural pronoun

là

la — To be; linking verb equivalent to 'is/are/was'

như

nhu — Like, as, such as; comparison particle

thế

the — So, such, that way; referring to manner or situation

nào

nao — Which, what kind; interrogative or relative particle

Họ

Ho — They, them; third person plural pronoun

đều

deu — All, each, every one without exception

bà

ba — Older woman; respectful term for lady or Mrs.

chủ

chu — Owner, master, or host of a place

nhà

nha — House, home, or building

trọ

tro — To lodge or rent a room temporarily

thôi

thoi — Only, just; also signals end of statement

thì

thi — Then; conditional or topic marker particle

Nhưng

Nhung — But, however; conjunction showing contrast

sẽ

se — Future tense marker indicating something will happen

làm

lam — To do, to make, to perform an action

phì

phi — Part of 'phì cười' meaning to burst out laughing

cười

cuoi — To laugh or smile

nếu

neu — If; conditional conjunction introducing a condition

kể

ke — To tell, narrate, or recount a story

rằng

rang — That; conjunction introducing a reported clause

nhiều

nhieu — Many, much, a lot of something

lần

lan — Time, instance, or occurrence of an action

nghĩ

nghi — To think, consider, or reflect on something

đến

den — To arrive at, to reach, or up to

việc

viec — Task, work, matter, or affair

bắt

bat — To catch, to begin, or to force someone

chỉ

chi — Only, just; also to point or indicate

đơn

don — Simple, single, or plain without complexity

giản

gian — Simple; used in 'đơn giản' meaning simple or easy

với

voi — With, together with; preposition of accompaniment

một

mot — One; the number one or an indefinite article

quý

quy — Respected, precious, or noble; term of respect

quyền

quyen — Right, power, or authority to do something

đó

do — That, there; demonstrative pronoun or particle

ngoài

ngoai — Outside, beyond, or in addition to

phố

pho — Street, urban road, or city area

khi

khi — When, at the time of an event

ấy

ay — That, those; demonstrative referring to something mentioned

đi

di — To go; also imperative particle softening commands

điều

dieu — Thing, matter, point, or issue being discussed

khỏi

khoi — To avoid, recover from, or be free of

phải

phai — Must, have to; also 'right' or 'correct'

nói

noi — To speak, say, or talk to someone

dĩ

di — Part of 'dĩ nhiên' meaning 'of course'

cách

cach — Way, method, manner of doing something

rụt

rut — Timid, shrinking; part of 'rụt rè' meaning shy

rè

re — Shy, timid; used in 'rụt rè' meaning bashful

kính

kinh — To respect, revere; part of 'kính trọng'

trọng

trong — To respect or value; used in 'kính trọng'

tha

tha — To forgive or spare; part of 'tha thiết' meaning earnest

thiết

thiet — Earnest, eager; used in 'tha thiết' meaning deeply longing

đang

dang — Progressive aspect marker indicating ongoing action

héo

heo — Withered, wilting; part of 'héo mòn' meaning wasting away

mòn

mon — To wear down, waste away gradually over time

van

van — To beg, implore, or plead desperately

xin

xin — To ask for, request, or beg politely

đừng

dung — Don't; negative imperative particle for commands

xua

xua — To chase away, drive off, or shoo away

đuổi

duoi — To chase away, expel, or dismiss someone

có

co — To have; existence marker or affirmative particle

cơ

co — Opportunity, chance; part of 'cơ hội' meaning opportunity

hội

hoi — Association, club; in 'cơ hội' means opportunity

để

de — In order to, so that; purpose conjunction

quen

quen — To be acquainted with, to know someone familiarly

bất

bat — Any, every; negation prefix meaning 'un-' or 'any'

kỳ

ky — Period, term; in 'bất kỳ' means 'any' or 'whatever'

thuyết

thuyet — To persuade; part of 'thuyết phục' meaning to convince

phục

phuc — To convince; in 'thuyết phục' meaning to persuade

thực

thuc — Real, true, actual; part of 'thực sự' meaning truly

sự

su — Matter, fact; nominalizer or in 'thực sự' meaning truly

bổn

bon — Duty, responsibility; part of 'bổn phận' meaning duty

phận

phan — Duty, fate; in 'bổn phận' meaning one's duty

nỡ

no — To have the heart to do something cruel

từ

tu — To refuse; also from, since as a preposition

chối

choi — To refuse or deny; in 'từ chối' meaning to reject

lời

loi — Word, speech, or request made by someone

cầu

cau — To request, pray for; part of 'lời cầu' meaning plea

nhút

nhut — Timid, cowardly; part of 'nhút nhát' meaning timid

nhát

nhat — Timid, cowardly; in 'nhút nhát' meaning shy or cowardly

vậy

vay — So, thus, like that; concluding or summarizing particle

kẻ

ke — Person, fellow; often used slightly disparagingly

hạnh

hanh — Happiness, virtue; part of 'hạnh phúc' meaning happy

Rằng

Rang — That; conjunction introducing a reported or stated clause

tất

tat — All, entire; part of 'tất cả' meaning everything

cả

ca — All, every; in 'tất cả' meaning all or everything

gì

gi — What, anything; interrogative or indefinite pronoun

câu

cau — Sentence, phrase, or line of speech

thân

than — Friendly, close, intimate; in 'thân thiện' meaning friendly

thiện

thien — Kind, good; in 'thân thiện' meaning friendly or amicable

đầy

day — Full, filled with, abundant in something

cảm

cam — Feeling, emotion; part of 'cảm thông' meaning empathy

thông

thong — To understand; in 'cảm thông' meaning empathy or sympathy

ngay

ngay — Immediately, right away, or straightforward

cái

cai — Classifier for objects; the, that particular thing

nhìn

nhin — To look at, gaze, or observe something visually

đầu

dau — Head; first, beginning; in 'đầu tiên' meaning first

tiên

tien — First; fairy; in 'đầu tiên' meaning the very first

hãy

hay — Imperative particle urging someone to do something

tin

tin — To believe, trust, or have faith in

tưởng

tuong — To think, imagine; in 'tin tưởng' meaning to trust

và

va — And; conjunction connecting words or clauses

lắng

lang — To listen attentively; part of 'lắng nghe'

nghe

nghe — To hear or listen to something

cứ

cu — Keep on, continue; particle emphasizing ongoing action

muốn

muon — To want, wish, or desire something

khuyến

khuyen — To encourage; part of 'khuyến khích' meaning to motivate

khích

khich — To encourage; in 'khuyến khích' meaning to encourage

dù

du — Even though, although, despite; concessive conjunction

sau

sau — After, later, behind; referring to future or rear

chúng

chung — We, us; plural pronoun for a group including speaker

chẳng

chang — Not, never; emphatic negation particle

bao

bao — Ever, how much; in 'bao giờ' meaning ever or when

giờ

gio — Hour, time; in 'bao giờ' meaning ever or at what time

lại

lai — Again, to return; directional or repetition marker

nhau

nhau — Each other, one another; reciprocal pronoun

nữa

nua — More, anymore, again; continuative or additive particle

đấy

day — There, that; demonstrative or emphatic particle

sao

sao — Why, how; star; interrogative or exclamative particle

cũng

cung — Also, too, even; additive or concessive particle

lý

ly — Reason, logic; part of 'lý do' meaning reason

do

do — Reason, cause; in 'lý do' meaning reason or motive

Đừng

Dung — Don't; negative imperative particle for prohibitions

bực

buc — Annoyed, irritated; part of 'bực bội' meaning frustrated

bội

boi — Frustrated, displeased; in 'bực bội' meaning annoyed

vì

vi — Because, for the sake of; causal conjunction

anh

anh — Older brother; polite pronoun for males

tự

tu — Self, by oneself; reflexive particle or prefix

khó

kho — Difficult, hard; challenging to do or understand

chính

chinh — Main, very, exactly; in 'chính mình' meaning oneself

cố

co — To try hard, make effort, strive to do

thử

thu — To try, to attempt something experimentally

lẽ

le — Reason, perhaps; in 'lẽ ra' meaning should have

thành

thanh — To succeed, become; part of 'thành công' meaning success

công

cong — Work, merit; in 'thành công' meaning to succeed

rồi

roi — Already, then, done; completion or sequence marker

càng

cang — The more...; comparative particle for escalating degree

tốt

tot — Good, fine, well; positive quality or outcome