khaub ncaws
/kʰau̯˥.ᶮɟaɨ̯˩/
The Hmong word for clothes is khaub ncaws.
khaub ncaws refers to apparel or clothing in a general sense.
Meaning: apparel (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
khaub ncaws is a collective noun and does not change its form to indicate plurality.
How do you pronounce it?
The word consists of 2 syllables and is pronounced /kʰau̯˥.ᶮɟaɨ̯˩/.
Did you know?
- Traditional Hmong clothing is famous for 'paj ntaub' or 'flower cloth', which is intricate needlework that historically served as a visual language for the community.
- The first syllable khaub may be linked to the Chinese character '交', which means 'to cross' or 'to intersect'.
- The production of traditional khaub ncaws involves a labor-intensive process of hemp cultivation, weaving and dyeing that can take a year to complete.
Examples in context
- Kuv xav yuav khaub ncaws tshiab.I want to buy new clothes.
- Nws tsis muaj khaub ncaws hnav.He has no clothes to wear.
Example conversation
Nao and Yee are getting ready to go out.
- NaoYee, koj hnav khaub ncaws dab tsi?Yee, what clothes are you wearing?
- YeeKuv hnav tsho xob.I am wearing a shirt.
- NaoKoj cov khaub ncaws tsis tsim nyog.Your clothes are not appropriate.
- YeeKuv yuav mus hloov tam sim no.I will go change right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “clothes” translations and entries khaub ncaws, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries khaub, CC BY-SA 4.0.
