Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| quà | [kwaː˨˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [kwaː˦˩] (Huế, narrow) |
| quà tặng | [kwaː˨˩ taŋ˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
| quà biếu |
The word quà refers to something given to another voluntarily and without charge. You can use quà in a general sense to refer to a gift. If you want to express the action of giving a gift, use the verb tặng, which specifically denotes presenting something formally, as opposed to the general verb cho.
Which one should you use?
While quà is the general term, quà tặng is a common and straightforward way to say gift. Use quà biếu specifically when the gift is being presented to someone of higher social status, such as an elder or a superior at work.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the noun phrase countable or to specify a particular gift, you can place the classifier món before quà to form món quà, which functions similarly to saying "the gift" or "a piece of gift" in English.
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese culture, it is common for the recipient to politely decline a món quà once or twice before finally accepting it.
- While quà means 'gift', it is also used to describe 'snacks' or 'treats' bought for someone, such as quà vặt for street food snacks.
- The word tặng has its roots in Chinese characters, specifically the character 贈, making it a Sino-Vietnamese term.
Examples in context
- Âm nhạc là món quà của Chúa.Music is a gift from God.This sentence uses quà to show how a gift can be a metaphorical blessing from a higher power.Tatoeba #1552007 by trieuho, translation #1551289 by Scott
- Tôi không thể nhận món quà này.I cannot accept this gift.This sentence uses quà to show the act of receiving a gift.Tatoeba #1548775 by trieuho, translation #58011 by CC
- Vẻ đẹp là quà tặng từ thiên nhiên.Beauty is a gift from nature.This sentence uses quà to describe a gift originating from nature.Tatoeba #13886110 by leucammieuvu, translation #13885869 by Nuel
- Chúng tôi xin tặng quà cho ông chủ nhân dịp kỷ niệm thành lập công ty.We would like to present a gift to the owner on the occasion of the company's anniversary.
- Anh ấy đã mua một quả bóng đá làm quà cho em trai mình.He bought a soccer ball as a gift for his younger brother.
- Sếp tôi tặng một món quà đặc biệt cho khách hàng quan trọng của công ty.My boss presents a special gift to the company's important client.
- Hôm nay là sinh nhật của Mai, chúng ta nên tặng quà cho cô ấy.Today is Mai's birthday, we should give her a gift.
- Cô giáo đã trao phần thưởng cho học sinh giỏi nhất.The teacher rewarded the best student with a gift.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tuấn gives a small gift to Mai on her birthday.
- TuấnChúc mừng sinh nhật, đây là quà cho em.Happy birthday, this is a gift for you.
- MaiÔi, món quà này đẹp quá!Oh, this gift is so beautiful!
- TuấnAnh hy vọng em sẽ thích nó.I hope you will like it.
- MaiEm cảm ơn anh rất nhiều.Thank you so much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gift” translations and entries quà, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (quà, tặng) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries biếu, tặng, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
