Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| đứa trẻ | [ʔɗɨə˧˦ t͡ɕɛ˧˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔɗɨə˨˩˦ ʈɛ˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
| đứa bé | [ʔɗɨə˧˦ ʔɓɛ˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔɗɨə˨˩˦ ʔɓɛ˨˩˦] (Huế, narrow) |
| con | [kɔn˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [kɔŋ˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
The term for child varies significantly based on whether you are talking about a person's offspring, a general human being or a specific age group. Use con when referring to a person's son or daughter. Use trẻ con when referring to children collectively or when describing something as being childish. If you are referring to a very young child or infant, the informal term em bé translates to 'baby'.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on the specific type of child being described. đứa trẻ is a neutral term used to describe a child in a general sense, often from an observer's perspective. đứa bé is also neutral but specifically implies a smaller child or a baby compared to the general đứa trẻ. In contrast, con is used specifically to mean offspring (a son or daughter) rather than just any child. Finally, trẻ con is a colloquial compound used for children in a collective sense.
How does it change in a sentence?
In phrases such as đứa trẻ or đứa bé, the word đứa acts as a classifier for children.
When do people say it?
Vietnamese culture utilizes specific familial terms when addressing children. Older family members, such as grandparents or older siblings, often use the term cháu to address a younger child. An older person may also use the term em to address a younger child or someone they share a close relationship with. Parents specifically use the term con to refer to their own child.
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese, con is used for human offspring but is also the general classifier for most animals.
- In Vietnamese culture, it is common for parents to refer to themselves as ba or mẹ when talking to their con rather than saying 'I'.
- The classifier đứa used for children is historically related to words meaning 'grandfather' or 'elderly man' in other Austroasiatic languages.
Examples in context
- Đây là một đứa trẻ.This is a child.This sentence is useful for identifying a child using đứa trẻ.Tatoeba #13510774 by leucammieuvu, translation #13510589 by jan_Lupelo
- Đứa trẻ sợ bóng tối.The child was afraid of the dark.This sentence is useful for describing the fears of a child using đứa trẻ.Tatoeba #13485367 by leucammieuvu, translation #13483378 by rul
- Trẻ con đều làm được.Any child can do that.This sentence is useful for discussing the abilities of children using con.Tatoeba #13769740 by leucammieuvu, translation #36641 by CK
- Đứa con đáng yêu của tôiMy adorable child.
- Bé cần giúp gì không?Do you need any help, child?
- Con nhỏ của bác đáng yêu quá!Your little child is so adorable, Auntie!
- Hình ảnh em bé này thật dễ thương!This baby picture is really cute!
- Cháu ơi, đến đây với ông ngoại đi!Child, come here with Grandpa!
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mai and Nam are watching people at a playground.
- MaiNhìn đứa trẻ kia kìa, Nam.Look at that child, Nam.
- NamĐứa trẻ đó đang chạy rất nhanh.That child is running very fast.
- MaiAnh có thấy em bé không?Do you see the baby?
- NamTôi không thấy đứa trẻ nào khác.I don't see any other child.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “child” translations and entries đứa trẻ, đứa bé, con, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bé, con, trẻ, đứa, đứa bé, đứa trẻ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
