thôi nào
[tʰoj˧˧ naːw˨˩]word by word
The English phrase "come on" is expressed in Vietnamese as thôi nào.
thôi nào is used to urge someone to stop a certain behavior or to coax them into doing something, much like the English "come on".
Meaning: expression of encouragement (intj)
Which one should you use?
While thôi nào is used for emotional encouragement or coaxing, such as telling someone not to be sad, the phrase nhanh lên is used specifically when you want someone to increase their physical speed, meaning "hurry up".
How does it change in a sentence?
As an interjection, thôi nào remains constant and does not change based on the subject or the person you are speaking to.
Did you know?
- Using thôi nào with a superior or an elder can be seen as too casual or even disrespectful in traditional Vietnamese social hierarchies.
- The word thôi in this phrase is actually a linguistic relative of the Chinese word for 'retreat' or 'withdraw', written as 退.
- While thôi nào is used for coaxing, the word thôi on its own is frequently used to abruptly end a conversation or signal that a topic is finished.
Examples in context
- Thôi nào, thừa nhận đi.Come on, admit it.This is useful for practicing how to urge someone to admit something using thôi nào.Tatoeba #3549757 by trieuho, translation #3549697 by CK
- Thôi nào, nhanh lên đi.Come on, hurry up.This shows how to use thôi nào when telling someone to hurry.Tatoeba #3549758 by trieuho, translation #3549698 by CK
- Thôi nào. Mình sẽ đưa bạn về.Come on. I'm taking you home.This demonstrates using thôi nào as an interjection when offering to take someone home.Tatoeba #5772440 by yippe, translation #1898417 by CK
- Đi nào, chúng ta muốn mua vé xem phim.Come on, we want to buy movie tickets.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hùng is encouraging Mai to finish her race.
- HùngThôi nào, Mai, cố lên!Come on, Mai, keep going!
- MaiTôi mệt quá, Hùng ơi.I'm so tired, Hung.
- HùngChỉ còn một chút nữa thôi.There is only a little bit left.
- MaiĐược rồi, tôi sẽ cố.Okay, I will try.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (thôi, nào) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nào, thôi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
