bò cái
[ʔɓɔ˨˩ kaːj˧˦]word by word
The English phrase "cow" is bò cái in Vietnamese.
The term refers to an adult female of the species Bos taurus.
Meaning: adult female of species Bos taurus (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of bò (cow/ox) and cái (female).
Which one should you use?
While bò alone is often used generically to refer to the species or the animal in a general sense regardless of sex, bò cái specifies a female. To refer to a male bull, use bò đực.
Did you know?
- While bò cái means 'cow', the word cái can also be used in different contexts to mean 'host' or 'banker' in a game.
- The word bò might be an onomatopoeia, mimicking the 'moo' sound an animal makes, similar to the Vietnamese phrase ụm bò.
- The word cái used to function as a classifier for many small animals, such as 'an ant' described as cái kiến.
Examples in context
- Chú ý, có con bò đang đi ngang đường đấy!Attention, there's a cow crossing the road!
- Anh có thích bò như em không?Do you like cows like I do?
- Dạ, em rất thích bò.Yes, I really like cows.
- Con bò cái đang ăn cỏ.The cow is eating grass.
- Tôi thấy một con bò cái trong vườn.I saw a cow in the garden.
- Con bò cái này rất lớn.This cow is very large.
Example conversation
Minh and Hương are visiting a farm.
- MinhHương ơi, nhìn con bò cái kia kìa!Huong, look at that cow over there!
- Hương HuongNó trông thật hiền lành.It looks so gentle.
- MinhAnh muốn mua một con bò cái về nuôi.I want to buy a cow to raise.
- Hương HuongÝ tưởng của anh thật hay.Your idea is great.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cow” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (bò, cái) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bò, cái, CC BY-SA 4.0.
