chào dì
[t͡ɕaːw˨˩ zi˨˩]word by word
The English phrase 'hello aunt' is translated into Vietnamese as chào dì.
This phrase is a greeting used when speaking to a female relative or a woman of a similar age to one's mother.
Did you know?
- The word chào is a non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of the Chinese character 朝, which originally referred to attending an emperor's audience.
- In Vietnamese, using dì for a stranger is a way of showing respect and establishing a familial bond, rather than implying a literal blood relation.
- A person may be called dì even if they are younger than the speaker, provided they hold a specific familial rank.
Examples in context
- Cháu chào dì ạ.Hello auntie.
- Dì ơi, cháu chào dì.Auntie, hello auntie.
Example conversation
Lan meets her mother's sister at the door.
- LanCon chào dì ạ!Hello aunt!
- HùngChào Lan, con khỏe không?Hello Lan, how are you?
- LanCon khỏe, còn dì thì sao?I'm well, and how about you, aunt?
- HùngDì cũng khỏe, cảm ơn con.I am also well, thank you.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (chào, dì) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chào, dì, CC BY-SA 4.0.
