phô mai
[fo˧˧ maːj˧˧]
The English word "cheese" is translated as phô mai in Vietnamese. Wiktionary also lists pho mát and phó mát.
Meaning: dairy product (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| phô mai | [fo˧˧ maːj˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [fow˧˧ maːj˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
| pho mát | [fɔ˧˧ maːt̚˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [fɔ˧˧ maːk̚˦˧˥] (Huế, narrow) |
| phó mát | [fɔ˧˦ maːt̚˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [fɔ˨˩˦ maːk̚˦˧˥] (Huế, narrow) |
| phô ma |
The term refers to the dairy product. You can also use the phrase phô mai trắng to specifically refer to white cheese.
What does it mean word for word?
The term phô mai is a loanword from the French word fromage.
Which one should you use?
The pack provides several variations for the word: phô mát, phó mát, phô mai and phô ma. The form phô mai is the most commonly used version of the word.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The spelling phô mát is more common in Northern Vietnamese dialects.
Related words
When do people say it?
In Vietnamese, the word hai can be used as an interjection, meaning "cheese" is said while being photographed.
Did you know?
- Some versions of the word for cheese, like phó mát, are used as slang to describe someone who is acting 'crazy' or 'mad'.
- The term phó mát is a linguistic curiosity because it uses a Sino-Vietnamese character that translates to 'assistant' or 'deputy' just to mimic the sound of the French word fromage.
Examples in context
- Tôi thích pho mát.I like cheese.This sentence shows how to express a preference for pho mát.Tatoeba #13598597 by leucammieuvu, translation #5840439 by CK
- Con chó đang ăn phô mai.The dog is eating cheese.This sentence describes a dog eating phô mai.Tatoeba #14033795 by nhuttan2004, translation #13320556 by rul
- Ai đã ăn hết phô mai thế?Who ate all the cheese?This sentence is useful for asking who consumed all the phô mai.Tatoeba #9034848 by dotheduyet1999, translation #8553850 by CK
- Xin cho tôi một gói phô mai, xin cảm ơn.May I have a pack of cheese, please? Thank you.
- Bạn có phô mai trắng không?Do you have white cheese?
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nam and Lan are shopping at a grocery store.
- NamEm có muốn mua phô mai không?Do you want to buy some cheese?
- LanCó, em muốn mua phô mai này.Yes, I want to buy this cheese.
- NamLoại phô mai này có ngon không?Is this kind of cheese tasty?
- LanVâng, phô mai này rất ngon.Yes, this cheese is very delicious.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheese” translations and entries phô mai, pho mát, phó mát, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mai, mát, pho, pho mát, phó, phó mát, phô, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
