đánh
[ʔɗajŋ̟˧˦]
In Vietnamese, 'hit' can be translated as đánh or đập.
Meaning: to administer a blow (verb)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| đánh | [ʔɗajŋ̟˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔɗɛɲ˦˧˥] (Huế, narrow) |
| đập | [ʔɗəp̚˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔɗəp̚˨˩ʔ] (Huế, narrow) |
The primary way to say 'to hit' is đánh, which serves as a general term for striking. Related terms include đấm, which specifically means 'punch' and cú đánh, which refers to 'strike'. Idiomatically, đánh is also used colloquially to mean playing certain musical instruments, such as a piano or guitar.
Which one should you use?
While đánh is a general term for hitting or striking, đập specifically implies hitting something with a flat surface or a heavy, blunt object, often with a smashing motion.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the passive voice for an unpleasant action like being hit, the word bị is used before the verb đánh.
Did you know?
- Vietnamese uses đánh to describe the act of 'brushing' teeth, known as đánh răng.
- In Vietnamese, đánh is used when playing games of strategy or skill, such as đánh cờ for 'playing chess'.
- The word đánh is used not only for hitting but also for 'typing' on a keyboard or 'typing' a document.
Examples in context
- Chúng tôi bị đánh.We got hit.This sentence shows how to express the passive voice for being hit using đánh.Tatoeba #13525725 by leucammieuvu, translation #13525038 by Aghanim
- Anh ấy đã đánh tôi.He hit me.This sentence demonstrates a simple subject-verb-object structure for hitting someone with đánh.Tatoeba #9006440 by dotheduyet1999, translation #8475604 by CH
- Đừng để anh ta đánh cô ấy.Don't let him hit her.This sentence uses đánh in a prohibitive context regarding hitting someone.Tatoeba #8964429 by dotheduyet1999, translation #8614564 by Amastan
- Anh ta đã đập cửa gỗ rất mạnhHe hit the wooden door very hard.
- Vận động viên đã dùng sức đánh bóng mạnh để ghi điểmThe athlete put great effort into hitting the ball to score.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A mother is scolding her son for playing too rough with a pet.
- MaiCon không được đánh con mèo.You must not hit the cat.
- HùngCon xin lỗi mẹ, con không cố ý đánh nó.I am sorry mom, I didn't mean to hit it.
- MaiLần sau đừng đánh vật nuôi như vậy.Don't hit pets like that next time.
- HùngVâng, con sẽ không đánh nó nữa.Yes, I won't hit it anymore.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hit” translations and entries đánh, đập, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
