Giê-su
[ze˧˧ su˧˧]
In Vietnamese, the name Jesus can be expressed through several forms such as Giêsu, Giê-su or Giê-xu. Wiktionary also lists Gia-tô and Gia Tô.
Meaning: religious figure (name)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Giê-su | [ze˧˧ su˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [jej˧˧ sʊw˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
|
| Giêsu | ||
| Giê-xu | ||
| Gia-tô | ||
| Gia Tô | [zaː˧˧ to˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [jaː˧˧ tow˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
|
| Da Tô | [zaː˧˧ to˧˧] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) | |
| Jesus | Protestant |
The word refers to the religious figure Jesus. In religious contexts, the name is almost always preceded by the title Chúa (Lord) to show respect, such as in the phrase Chúa Giê-su. The word can also function as an expletive.
Which one should you use?
The forms used depend on religious affiliation and transcription style. Giê-su is the standard transliteration used primarily by Vietnamese Catholics. In contrast, Protestant contexts often use the English spelling Jesus directly or the phonetic transliteration Giê-xu. Giêsu is a formal version of the name.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Chúa Giesu is a regional variation for the name.
Related words
When do people say it?
In a religious context, the name is almost always preceded by the title Chúa (Lord) to show respect.
Did you know?
- The phonetic variation Giê-xu is a stylistic marker that can immediately identify whether a person belongs to a Protestant or a Catholic community in Vietnam.
- The form Giê-su was influenced by the Italian Gesù and French Jésus due to the historical presence of European missionaries in Vietnam.
- Unlike English where 'Jesus' is often used alone in a sentence, it is culturally rare in Vietnamese to use the name without the preceding title Chúa unless the speaker is using it as an exclamation.
Examples in context
- Chúa Jesus là người đã cứu rỗi tôi.Jesus Christ is my Savior.This sentence shows how to use the form Jesus in a religious context.Tatoeba #9096714 by dotheduyet1999, translation #3605311 by jpshepherd
- Chúa Giê-su là người đã cứu rỗi tôi.Jesus Christ is my saviour.This sentence demonstrates the use of the form Giê-su in a religious context.Tatoeba #9096715 by dotheduyet1999, translation #5699770 by abyssalalice
- Jesus sinh năm 1940 trước Chuck Norris.Jesus was born in 1940 before Chuck Norris.This sentence uses the form Jesus in a sentence.Tatoeba #10658555 by broombroom, translation #7266481 by Fouroulou
- Giêsu là vị cứu tinh của thế giới.Jesus is the savior of the world.
- Các tín đồ đều tin vào Chúa Giêsu.All the believers have faith in Jesus.
- Chúa Jêsus là người mà tôi tin cậy.Jesus is the person I trust.
- Hãy cầu nguyện Chúa Jêsus giúp chúng ta.Let's pray to Jesus for help.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lan and Minh are discussing a church painting.
- LanBức tranh này vẽ Chúa Giê-su đúng không?This painting depicts Jesus, right?
- MinhĐúng rồi, đó là Chúa Giê-su.That's right, that is Jesus.
- LanTôi rất thích phong cách vẽ này.I really like this painting style.
- MinhTôi cũng vậy, nhìn rất bình yên.Me too, it looks very peaceful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “Jesus” translations and entries Giê-su, Giêsu, Giê-xu, Gia Tô, Da Tô, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (da, tô) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Giê-su, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
