quế
[kwe˧˦]
In Vietnamese, cinnamon is quế.
The word quế refers to the spice itself and can also be used to describe its characteristic scent, such as in the phrase mùi quế (the smell of cinnamon). When you want to describe the taste of cinnamon in food or drinks, use the structure vị followed by quế (for example, vị quế means cinnamon flavor).
Meaning: spice (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe the flavor of cinnamon, place the word vị before quế.
Did you know?
- Vietnam is one of the world's largest producers of cinnamon, specifically the variety known as quế Việt Nam or Saigon cinnamon. This variety has a much higher concentration of cinnamaldehyde than the common Cassia found in US supermarkets.
- In high-end Vietnamese incense making, 'quế' is prized not just for its scent but for its spiritual properties used in traditional ceremonies.
- The word quế is a Sino-Vietnamese borrowing from the Chinese character 桂, which is used across many East Asian languages to denote the same spice.
Examples in context
- cây quếCinnamon treeThis sentence shows how to refer to the cinnamon tree using quế.
- Tôi muốn mua một ít quế xay.I would like to buy some ground cinnamon.
- Cho thêm một chút bột quế vào nồi nấu ăn.Add a little ground cinnamon to the pot while cooking.
- Tôi thích mùi quế.I like the smell of cinnamon.
- Cho thêm một ít quế vào nhé.Add a little bit of cinnamon, please.
Example conversation
Tuấn and Mai are making tea in the kitchen.
- TuấnMai ơi, nhà mình còn quế không?Mai, do we have any cinnamon at home?
- MaiDạ, em vừa mua ở siêu thị.Yes, I just bought some at the supermarket.
- TuấnTốt quá, cho anh một ít vào trà.Great, put a little bit in my tea.
- MaiĐể em làm cho anh ngay.Let me do that for you right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cinnamon” translations and entries quế, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries quế, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
