bé gái
[ʔɓɛ˧˦ ɣaːj˧˦]word by word
The English phrase "baby girl" is translated into Vietnamese as bé gái.
bé gái is a neutral term used to describe a young female child in most contexts.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of bé (small/baby) and gái (girl/female).
Did you know?
- The word gái is part of a linguistic family that includes the word cái, a term often used as a grammatical marker for inanimate objects.
- In Vietnamese, the word bé is not just a descriptor for size, but is also a common title of endearment for any child, regardless of whether they are a boy or a girl.
- While bé gái is the literal term, Vietnamese people often use con gái to refer to both a 'baby girl' and a 'grown daughter', depending on the context of the conversation.
Examples in context
- Chào, bé gái nhỏ!Hello, little girl!
- Một bé gái đang ngủ.A baby girl is sleeping.
- Bé gái này rất dễ thương.This baby girl is very cute.
- Tôi có một bé gái.I have a baby girl.
Example conversation
Hùng and Chi are looking at a photo of a newborn.
- HùngBé gái này là con của ai?Whose baby girl is this?
- ChiĐó là con của chị tôi.That is my sister's daughter.
- HùngBé gái trông thật xinh xắn.The baby girl looks so lovely.
- ChiCảm ơn anh, Hùng.Thank you, Hùng.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (bé, gái) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bé, gái, CC BY-SA 4.0.
