dừa
The English word "coconut" is translated into Vietnamese as dừa.
In Vietnamese, you use the word dừa to refer to the coconut itself. However, when you are referring to a single coconut as a countable unit, you must precede it with a classifier such as trái or quả.
Meaning: fruit of coco palm (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word dừa specifically means "coconut". The words trái and quả function as classifiers used to count the fruit.
Which one should you use?
While both classifiers refer to a single unit of fruit, trái is more common in Southern Vietnamese dialects, whereas quả is more common in Northern Vietnamese dialects.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The use of the classifier trái is characteristic of Southern Vietnamese, while the use of quả is characteristic of Northern Vietnamese.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun dừa is typically preceded by a classifier like trái or quả to indicate a single unit of the fruit.
Did you know?
- Vietnam produces a variety called dừa sáp, or 'waxy coconut', which has a thick, custard-like flesh instead of liquid water.
- The word dừa shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the Chinese character 椰, which has been used to describe the same plant for centuries across East Asia.
- In Vietnam, the coconut is so central to the culture that nước dừa 'coconut water' is often used as a traditional folk remedy to cool the body during heatwaves.
Examples in context
- Dừa là một loại quả phổ biến và có giá trị dinh dưỡng cao.Coconut is a common fruit with high nutritional value.
- Dừa tươiFresh coconut
- Cây dừaCoconut tree
Sources
- Wiktionary, “coconut” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dừa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
