kẹo cao su
[kɛw˧˨ʔ kaːw˧˧ su˧˧]
In Vietnamese, the English phrase gum is translated as kẹo cao su.
Meaning: single piece of chewing gum (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word consists of kẹo, which means candy and cao su, which means rubber or elastic.
Which one should you use?
While kẹo can refer to any type of candy, adding cao su specifies that you are talking specifically about chewing gum.
Did you know?
- The word cao su is used for both chewing gum and the industrial rubber used to make tires and elastic bands.
- The term cao su is derived from the Sino-Vietnamese word cao, which originally referred to 'fat', 'grease' or 'oil'.
- If you use the word cao alone, it can also mean 'high' or 'tall' in many other Vietnamese contexts, showing how a single syllable can change meaning entirely based on the word following it.
Examples in context
- Tôi nhai kẹo cao su.I chewed the gum.This sentence demonstrates the action of chewing kẹo cao su.Tatoeba #1555103 by trieuho, translation #1555012 by kerbear407
- Bạn có kẹo cao su không?Do you have any gum?This sentence shows how to ask if someone possesses kẹo cao su.Tatoeba #8948170 by dotheduyet1999, translation #953193 by CK
- Không được nhai kẹo cao su trong lớp học.Chewing gum isn't allowed in the classroom.This sentence illustrates a rule prohibiting the chewing of kẹo cao su in a classroom.Tatoeba #13712823 by leucammieuvu, translation #13711637 by rul
- Này, bạn có kẹo nhai không?Hey, do you have any gum?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nam and Huong are sitting in a cafe after lunch.
- NamHương ơi, bạn có kẹo cao su không?Huong, do you have any gum?
- HươngMình có một viên kẹo cao su đây.I have one piece of gum here.
- NamCho mình xin một viên nhé.Can I have one piece, please?
- HươngĐây, của bạn này.Here, this is yours.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry kẹo cao su, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cao, kẹo, kẹo cao su, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
