hột vịt lộn
[hot̚˧˨ʔ vit̚˧˨ʔ lon˧˨ʔ]
balut is balut in Vietnamese, and the default form is hột vịt lộn. Wiktionary also lists trứng vịt lộn.
Meaning: embryo food (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| hột vịt lộn | [hot̚˧˨ʔ vit̚˧˨ʔ lon˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, narrow) [hok̚˨˩ʔ vit̚˨˩ʔ loŋ˨˩ʔ] (Huế, narrow) |
| trứng vịt lộn | [t͡ɕɨŋ˧˦ vit̚˧˨ʔ lon˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʈɨŋ˦˧˥ vit̚˨˩ʔ loŋ˨˩ʔ] (Huế, narrow) |
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase hột vịt lộn literally translates to turned duck egg, where lộn means turned or flipped.
Which one should you use?
The two forms available are hột vịt lộn and trứng vịt lộn. The word hột is the Southern dialect word for egg, whereas trứng is used in the North.
Is it said differently in some regions?
hột vịt lộn is the form most commonly used in Southern Vietnam.
Did you know?
- The word for egg in Northern Vietnam, trứng, shares a common ancestor with words for 'egg' in languages as far away as Khasi, spoken in India.
- In Vietnam, hột vịt lộn is often eaten as a breakfast food to provide energy for the day, rather than just as a street snack.
- To eat hột vịt lộn properly, it is traditionally paired with fresh ginger and a pinch of salt or pepper to balance the rich flavor.
Examples in context
- Anh ăn trứng vịt nhồi chưa?Have you eaten balut?
- Tôi muốn ăn hột vịt lộn.I want to eat balut.
- Hột vịt lộn có ở hàng bên kia.Balut is available at the stall over there.
- Mẹ mua hột vịt lộn cho tôi.Mom bought balut for me.
Example conversation
Hùng and Chi are deciding on a snack at a street food stall.
- HùngChi ơi, em có muốn ăn hột vịt lộn không?Chi, do you want to eat balut?
- ChiEm không thích ăn hột vịt lộn lắm.I don't really like eating balut.
- HùngVậy anh sẽ ăn hột vịt lộn một mình.Then I will eat balut by myself.
- ChiĐược rồi, anh cứ ăn đi.Okay, go ahead and eat it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “balut” translations and entries hột vịt lộn, trứng vịt lộn, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lộn, trứng, vịt, CC BY-SA 4.0.
