ma
[maː˧˧]
The English word "ghost" is translated into Vietnamese as ma. If unsure, use ma. Wiktionary also lists bóng ma.
Meaning: spirit appearing after death (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| ma | [maː˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [maː˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
| bóng ma | [ʔɓawŋ͡m˧˦ maː˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔɓawŋ͡m˦˧˥ maː˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
ma refers to a spirit appearing after death. You can combine it with other words to create specific terms, such as chuyện ma for a ghost story by adding chuyện (story). To refer to a specific ghost in natural speech, it is common to use the classifier con to form con ma. For a more malevolent or sinister sense, the term ma quỷ can be used, which combines ma (ghost) with quỷ (demon).
Which one should you use?
ma is the common word for ghost. In contrast, bóng ma is a more literary or formal term used to describe a phantom or a specter.
How does it change in a sentence?
In natural speech, ma is often preceded by the classifier con to form con ma when referring to a specific ghost.
Did you know?
- The word bóng is actually a cognate of the Proto-Vietic word *pɔːŋʔ, which originally meant 'bladder'.
Examples in context
- Hãy kể cho tôi một câu chuyện ma.Please tell me a ghost story.This sentence shows how to use the word ma to talk about a ghost story.Tatoeba #9066056 by dotheduyet1999, translation #3200763 by CK
- Người ta tin rằng có những hồn ma sống lại sau khi chết.People believe that there are ghosts who come back to life after death.
- Anh ta thường thấy bóng ma trong nhà vào ban đêm.He often sees shadow ghosts in the house at night.
- Tôi vừa thấy một con ma.I just saw a ghost.
- Đừng sợ ma.Don't be afraid of ghosts.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hùng and Hương are walking through a dark park at night.
- HùngHình như có ma kìa!It looks like there is a ghost!
- HươngAnh đừng làm em sợ.Don't scare me, Hùng.
- HùngChỉ là cái bóng thôi.It was just a shadow.
- HươngLần sau em không đi đêm nữa.I won't go out at night anymore.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ghost” translations and entries ma, bóng ma, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bóng, bóng ma, ma, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
