phở bò
[fəː˧˩ ʔɓɔ˨˩]word by word
phở bò is the Vietnamese phrase for beef pho.
In a restaurant setting, you can order simply by saying the name of the dish, phở bò, to indicate your choice.
What does it mean word for word?
The term phở refers to the noodle soup itself, and bò means beef.
Which one should you use?
To specify chicken pho instead of beef pho, replace bò with gà.
Did you know?
- The word phở is likely a shortened version of the phrase 'nhục phở', which itself originated from the Cantonese term for 'beef noodles'.
- The word bò is thought by some linguists to be an imitative word, potentially originating from the sound a cow makes.
- While many believe phở comes from the French 'feu' meaning 'fire', this is actually a popular folk etymology rather than a linguistic fact.
Examples in context
- Tôi muốn ăn phở bò.I want to eat beef pho.
- Phở bò ở đây rất ngon.The beef pho here is very delicious.
- Cho tôi một bát phở bò.Give me a bowl of beef pho.
Example conversation
Mai and Hùng are at a Vietnamese noodle shop.
- MaiHùng ơi, bạn muốn ăn gì?Hùng, what do you want to eat?
- HùngTôi sẽ gọi một bát phở bò.I will order a bowl of beef pho.
- MaiTôi cũng chọn phở bò luôn.I'll choose beef pho too.
- HùngVậy chúng ta gọi hai bát nhé.Then let's order two bowls.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (phở, bò) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bò, phở, CC BY-SA 4.0.
