chav da dej
The Hmong word for bathroom is chav da dej.
chav da dej is used to refer to a room or washroom where water is used for washing or bathing.
Meaning: a room with a bathtub (noun)
Did you know?
- While chav da dej describes a room for bathing, Hmong speakers often distinguish between a place for washing the body and a toilet, which uses a different term.
- The word da in chav da dej likely comes from the Thai word dam or Lao word dam, meaning 'to dive'.
- Because Hmong was primarily an oral language for centuries, the way chav da dej is written today depends on which Romanized spelling system is used.
Examples in context
- Kuv xav mus rau chav da dej.I want to go to the bathroom.
- Chav da dej no loj heev.This bathroom is very large.
- Nws tab tom nyob hauv chav da dej.He is in the bathroom.
Example conversation
Xiong and Nao are visiting a friend's house.
- XiongNao, koj puas xav mus rau chav da dej?Nao, do you want to go to the bathroom?
- NaoYog, kuv xav mus thaum no.Yes, I want to go now.
- XiongKoj mus rau chav da dej tom qab tsev.Go to the bathroom behind the house.
- NaoUa tsaug, Xiong.Thank you, Xiong.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries da, dej, CC BY-SA 4.0.
