chào dì
[t͡ɕaːw˨˩ zi˨˩]word by word
chào dì is the Vietnamese way to say "hi aunt" when addressing your maternal aunt.
This phrase is used to greet a woman who is the sister of one's mother. In Vietnamese culture, it is more natural and polite to use a specific kinship term like dì rather than a generic word for "aunt" or "you".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of chào, meaning "to greet" or "hello" and dì, meaning "maternal aunt".
Which one should you use?
While chào dì is used specifically for a maternal aunt (your mother's sister), you would use chào cô to greet a paternal aunt (your father's sister) or a woman who is of a similar age to your parents.
How does it change in a sentence?
In polite or natural speech, Vietnamese speakers often include a kinship pronoun for themselves, such as con (used by a child, nephew or niece), before the verb chào to form the phrase con chào dì.
Did you know?
- The word chào stems from an ancient term used to describe attending an emperor's audience or meeting a high-ranking official.
- In many Vietnamese social contexts, you might find yourself calling a complete stranger 'dì' if she is a similar age to your mother, even if you are not related.
Examples in context
- Chào dì ạ.Hi aunt.
- Con chào dì.Hello, auntie.
- Dì ơi, con chào dì.Auntie, hi aunt.
Example conversation
Nam visits his mother's sister at her house.
- LanCon chào dì!Hi aunt!
- NamChào Nam, con vào nhà đi.Hello Nam, come inside.
- LanDì có khỏe không ạ?Are you doing well, aunt?
- NamDì khỏe, cảm ơn con.I am 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.
