khóc
[xawk͡p̚˧˦]
To cry in Vietnamese, use khóc.
The standard way to express the act of shedding tears is khóc. Depending on how the crying is performed, different variations can change the meaning from a simple act to a more specific behavior, such as crying in a loud, dramatic or childish way.
Meaning: intransitive: to shed tears (verb)
Which one should you use?
While khóc is the standard verb for shedding tears, other forms change the nuance of the action. The phrase khóc nhè describes crying in a childish or fussy manner, whereas the reduplicated form khóc lóc emphasizes crying loudly and uncontrollably, often in a state of intense distress or mourning. The expression rơi lệ specifically refers to the act of tears falling.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase khóc nhè is often used to describe children crying or someone acting in a childish way.
Did you know?
- In traditional Vietnamese funeral rites, professional mourners were sometimes hired to khóc lóc to show the deceased was deeply loved.
- The word khóc replaced an older native word dám for 'to cry'. Today, dám is only found in certain dialects of Nghệ An province.
- The word khóc has a Sino-Vietnamese cognate, khốc, which is used in more formal or literary contexts.
Examples in context
- Bạn đã khóc à?Did you cry?This sentence shows how to ask if someone has cried using khóc.Tatoeba #13339806 by leucammieuvu, translation #12147181 by CK
- làm ơn đừng khócPlease don't cry.This sentence is a request for someone to stop crying using khóc.Tatoeba #12547657 by thanhcona40, translation #1521 by CK
- Tôi ít khi khóc.I rarely cry.This sentence describes how frequently one cries using khóc.Tatoeba #13340759 by leucammieuvu, translation #6358631 by CK
- Con bé khóc rất toThe baby is crying loudly.
- Cậu ấy rơi lệ vì tin tức đau lòngHe is crying due to heartbreaking news.
- Tôi rưng rưng nước mắt khi nghe câu chuyện cảm động ấyI cried with tears in my eyes while listening to that touching story.
- Cô bé xinh đó đang khóc vì mất xe đạpThat cute girl is crying because she lost her bicycle.
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tuấn sees Mai looking upset in the park.
- TuấnSao em lại khóc?Why are you crying?
- MaiEm thấy hơi buồn.I feel a bit sad.
- TuấnĐừng khóc nữa mà.Please don't cry anymore.
- MaiEm không sao đâu.I am okay.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cry” translations and entries khóc, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries khóc, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
