dưa chuột
[zɨə˧˧ t͡ɕuət̚˧˨ʔ]
The English word 'cucumber' is translated into Vietnamese as dưa chuột or dưa leo.
Meaning: edible fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| dưa chuột | [zɨə˧˧ t͡ɕuət̚˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, narrow) [jɨə˧˧ t͡ɕuək̚˨˩ʔ] (Huế, narrow) |
| dưa leo | [zɨə˧˧ lɛw˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [jɨə˧˧ lɛw˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
Both terms refer to the edible fruit known as a cucumber.
What does it mean word for word?
In the term dưa chuột, dưa means melon or a melon-like fruit and chuột means mouse or rat.
Which one should you use?
Dưa leo and dưa chuột are synonyms that mean the same thing.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Dưa chuột is the more common term used in Northern Vietnam, whereas dưa leo is more common in Southern Vietnam.
Did you know?
- There is a linguistic parallel between the Vietnamese 'melon mouse' and the Latin word mūsculus, which means 'little mouse' and refers to a muscle.
Examples in context
- Tôi là dưa chuột.I'm a cucumber.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use dưa chuột in a simple subject-predicate structure.Tatoeba #13878090 by leucammieuvu, translation #13877101 by rul
- Tôi muốn mua dưa chuột.I want to buy cucumber.
- Dưa chuột này rất tươi.This cucumber is very fresh.
Example conversation
At a local market, Tuấn is buying vegetables for dinner.
- TuấnChị ơi, dưa chuột này bao nhiêu tiền?Ma'am, how much is this cucumber?
- ChiHai mươi nghìn một cân anh nhé.It is twenty thousand per kilo, sir.
- TuấnCho tôi hai ký dưa chuột.Give me two kilos of cucumber.
- ChiVâng, để tôi cân cho anh.Yes, let me weigh them for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cucumber” translations and entries dưa chuột, dưa leo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chuột, dưa, dưa chuột, dưa leo, leo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
