trai
[t͡ɕaːj˧˧]
The Vietnamese word for boy is trai. Wiktionary also lists con trai.
Meaning: male child (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| trai | [t͡ɕaːj˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʈaːj˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
| con trai | [kɔn˧˧ t͡ɕaːj˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [kɔŋ˧˧ ʈaːj˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
The term is used to refer to a male child.
What does it mean word for word?
The form con trai literally means son or male child. In this construction, con is a classifier used for children and animals, while trai means male.
Which one should you use?
While trai is the core component, con trai specifically means a son or a male child. Chàng trai is a more poetic or literary way to refer to a young man or a lad, often found in storytelling. Additionally, em trai is a specific term used for a little brother.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Em trai is a formal term used for a younger boy, similar to the English phrase 'little brother'. In literary contexts, such as stories, you will encounter chàng trai to describe a young man.
Did you know?
- Historically, the word con was written with different Chinese characters, such as 昆 in the 12th century and 乾 in the 13th century.
- Using the word em in em trai changes the relationship from a simple description of age to a specific social hierarchy of younger versus older.
- The term chàng trai is often used in romantic songs and poems to describe a handsome young man, rather than just a simple boy.
Examples in context
- Chàng trai mua một con chó.The boy bought a dog.This sentence shows the use of trai to identify the subject.Tatoeba #13726695 by leucammieuvu, translation #1102706 by CM
- Chàng trai lạc đường trong rừng.The boy lost his way in the forest.This sentence demonstrates the use of trai in a narrative context.Tatoeba #13769903 by leucammieuvu, translation #46329 by CK
- Cô ấy đã lấy một chàng trai cùng làng.She married a boy from her village.This sentence illustrates how trai can be used when describing a person from a specific location.Tatoeba #13780375 by leucammieuvu, translation #13779613 by Aghanim
- Anh ấy là em trai của tôiHe is my little brother.
- Bé gái và cháu trai đang chơi bên nhauThe girl and the boy are playing together.
- Cậu bé đang chơi bóngThe boy is playing soccer.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tuấn and Chi are looking at a photograph of a family.
- TuấnĐứa bé này là con trai à?Is this baby a boy?
- ChiĐúng rồi, đó là con trai tôi.Yes, that is my boy.
- TuấnCậu bé trông rất dễ thương.The boy looks very cute.
- ChiCảm ơn Tuấn nhiều nhé.Thank you very much, Tuấn.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boy” translations and entries trai, con trai, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries con, con trai, trai, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
