Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| nhảy | [ɲaj˧˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ɲaj˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
| múa | [muə˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [muə˨˩˦] (Huế, narrow) |
The Vietnamese language uses different words for dancing depending on the style and context. While nhảy is the common way to describe moving to music, the term nhảy múa is a more formal or literary way to express the act of dancing. Related nouns include điệu nhảy for a specific sequence of steps or dance style, and điệu múa for movements to music.
What does it mean word for word?
The word nhảy literally means 'to jump' in many contexts.
Which one should you use?
The choice between forms depends on the type of movement. nhảy is the standard term for dancing to music, whereas múa is typically used for traditional, graceful or folk-style dancing, such as classical or ceremonial dance.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The term điệu nhảy is specifically used when you want to refer to a specific dance style or a specific set of dance moves.
Did you know?
- The term múa is a non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of the Chinese character 舞, which is also read as vũ in formal contexts.
- The word múa has a linguistic relative in the Rục language, the word kumúa, which preserves an ancient connection.
- The word điệu in điệu nhảy or điệu múa functions as a way to specify the 'melody' or 'tune' of the movement's pattern.
Examples in context
- Hãy nhảy với tôi.Dance with me!This sentence uses nhảy to issue an invitation to dance.Tatoeba #14034893 by nhuttan2004, translation #14010295 by Vortarulo
- Bạn có thể nhảy không?Can you dance?This sentence uses nhảy to ask about someone's ability to dance.Tatoeba #13340702 by leucammieuvu, translation #6796420 by Hybrid
- Bạn đã nhảy đúng không?Did you dance?This sentence uses nhảy to ask if someone performed a dance in the past.Tatoeba #13896351 by leucammieuvu, translation #13891206 by frpzzd
- Lớp nhảyDance class
- Vũ điệu dân gianFolk dance
- Vũ điệu ba lêBallet dance
- Chúng ta đi nhảy múa vào cuối tuần nhé!Let's go dancing this weekend!
- Bạn có biết nhảy múa không?Do you know how to dance?
- Học bước nhảy mới rất thú vị!Learning new dance steps is very exciting!
- Cô ấy nhảy bước nhảy hip-hop rất giỏi.She dances hip-hop dance moves very well.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hùng and Hương are at a wedding party.
- HùngHương, bạn có muốn nhảy không?Hương, do you want to dance?
- HươngCó, tôi rất thích nhảy.Yes, I love dancing very much.
- HùngNhạc hay quá, chúng ta cùng nhảy nhé.The music is so good, let's dance together.
- HươngĐồng ý, đi thôi Hùng!I agree, let's go Hùng!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dance” translations and entries nhảy, múa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries múa, nhảy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
