anh yêu
[ʔajŋ̟˧˧ ʔiəw˧˧]word by word
The English phrase 'darling' can be translated into Vietnamese as anh yêu.
In Vietnamese, terms used for 'darling', 'honey' or 'sweetheart' are primarily used in romantic contexts between partners. You can also use the term Bé to mean 'baby' or 'little one'.
Meaning: often used as an affectionate term of address: person who is very dear to one (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term anh yêu literally translates to 'beloved older brother' or 'beloved man'.
Which one should you use?
Unlike the English 'darling' which is gender-neutral, the Vietnamese equivalent changes based on the gender and age relationship of the speakers. For example, anh yêu is an informal term for males meaning 'my love', while em yêu is an informal term for females meaning 'my love'.
Did you know?
- Traditionally, couples with children might stop using romantic terms and instead call each other thầy em and đẻ em, meaning 'father of the child' and 'mother of the child'.
- Historical customs in Vietnam show that the way couples address each other was once a strong indicator of their social class.
Examples in context
- Anh yêu/em yêu, em có phải là thiên thần không?My love, are you an angel?
- Em bé của anh/em bé của chịMy baby
- Chào béHello baby
- Ngủ ngon, béSleep well, darling
- Cục cưng của chúng taOur darling
- Anh yêu ơi, em đi làm đây.Darling, I am going to work now.
- Anh yêu, anh có muốn uống trà không?Darling, do you want to drink some tea?
Example conversation
Mai is greeting Hùng when he returns home from work.
- MaiAnh yêu, anh về rồi à?Darling, you're home?
- HùngỪ, anh về rồi đây.Yes, I'm back.
- MaiAnh yêu có muốn ăn tối bây giờ không?Do you want to have dinner now, darling?
- HùngCó, anh đang rất đói.Yes, I am very hungry.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (anh, yêu) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries anh, yêu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
