vú
[vu˧˦]
The English word "breast" (referring to the milk-producing organ) is translated into Vietnamese as vú.
The term vú refers to the milk-producing organ. While it is used in specific medical compound phrases like ung thư vú (breast cancer), it is a very direct word.
Meaning: milk-producing organ (noun)
Which one should you use?
vú is a blunt and direct term for the organ. If you wish to be more polite or refer to the chest area in a general sense, use ngực. For a very colloquial or informal way to say breast, some speakers use Vếu.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
vú is considered informal, blunt and can be viewed as impolite or overly direct in many social situations. For a polite or formal tone, especially in medical or general anatomical contexts, use ngực.
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese, describing something as vú mướp (literally 'loofah breasts') is a common colloquial way to describe a specific shape.
- The word vú is used in the common term vú nuôi, which refers to a wet nurse.
- The term vú appears in the 1651 dictionary 'Dictionarium Annamiticum Lusitanum et Latinum', written by Portuguese missionaries.
Examples in context
- Mary qua đời do bị ung thư vú.Mary died of breast cancer.This sentence shows how to use vú in the medical compound phrase for breast cancer.Tatoeba #5159032 by truongap, translation #4473030 by Hybrid
- Cô ấy cảm thấy đau ở vú.She feels pain in her breast.
- Bác sĩ đang kiểm tra vú của bệnh nhân.The doctor is examining the patient's breast.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tuấn and Mai are discussing health screenings.
- TuấnMai, bạn đã đi khám vú chưa?Mai, have you had a breast exam yet?
- MaiTôi vừa đi khám tuần trước.I just went for a checkup last week.
- TuấnKết quả khám thế nào?How were the results?
- MaiMọi thứ đều bình thường, cảm ơn Tuấn.Everything is normal, thank you Tuấn.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “breast” translations and entries vú, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vú, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
