bát
[ʔɓaːt̚˧˦]
In Vietnamese, "bowl" is bát. Wiktionary also lists chén and tô.
Meaning: container for food (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| bát | [ʔɓaːt̚˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔɓaːk̚˦˧˥] (Huế, narrow) |
| chén | [t͡ɕɛn˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [t͡ɕɛŋ˦˧˥] (Huế, narrow) |
| tô | [to˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [tow˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
| đọi | [ʔɗɔj˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔɗɔj˨˩ʔ] (Huế, narrow) |
The words used for "bowl" in Vietnamese depend on the size of the container and the regional dialect of the speaker.
Which one should you use?
In Northern Vietnam, bát is the standard word for a small bowl used for rice or soup. In contrast, tô refers to a larger, deeper bowl, such as those used for pho or large servings of soup, as opposed to the smaller bát or chén.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Đọi is a regional term for a bowl used primarily in Central Vietnam.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting bowls, you should use the classifier cái before the noun, such as cái bát or cái tô.
Did you know?
- The word bát has its roots in Sanskrit, originating from the word pātra, which means a vessel or utensil.
Examples in context
- Tôi đã ăn hai quả táo xanh và một bát nho xanh vào tối qua.I ate two green apples and a bowl of green grapes last night.This sentence shows how to use bát when referring to a bowl of fruit.Tatoeba #9010175 by Kenbi93, translation #4520249 by mervert1
- Cái tô có rất nhiều loại kẹo.The bowl contains many kinds of candy.This sentence demonstrates the use of tô when describing a bowl containing candy.Tatoeba #1543007 by Aomori, translation #68616 by CK
- Em xin một tô mì.(May I have a bowl of noodles, please?)
- Bát súp này có thể chứa nhiều đồ ăn hơn tô thông thường.(This soup bowl can hold more food than a regular bowl.)
- Hôm qua tôi ăn bánh flan trong một chén nhỏ.(Yesterday I had flan in a small bowl.)
- Anh đến nhà mình mang theo món tráng miệng trong chén nhé!(When you come to my house, bring dessert in a bowl, okay?)
- Mẹ mua cho em một bát sứ mới.Mom bought me a new porcelain bowl.
Example conversation
A man and a woman are eating lunch at home.
- LanHùng ơi, anh lấy cho em cái bát nhé.Hung, can you get me a bowl?
- HùngEm muốn dùng bát màu gì?What color bowl do you want to use?
- LanCái bát màu trắng này là được rồi.This white bowl is fine.
- HùngĐây, bát của em đây.Here, here is your bowl.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bowl” translations and entries bát, chén, tô, đọi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bát, chén, đọi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
