sả
[saː˧˩]
The Vietnamese word for lemongrass is sả.
sả refers to the plant Cymbopogon citratus.
Meaning: Cymbopogon citratus (noun)
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese culture, stalks of sả are not just for cooking but are placed around the house to act as a natural repellent for mosquitoes and other insects.
- Ancient records like the 'Chỉ nam ngọc âm giải nghĩa' link the word sả to phonetic origins associated with the character 呂.
- In the kitchen, sả is part of a specific aromatic trinity, frequently paired with riềng 'galangal' and ớt 'chili' to start braised dishes.
Examples in context
- Em đã đi chợ mua sả chưa?Have you gone to the market to buy lemongrass?
- Tôi cần mua sả.I need to buy lemongrass.
- Món này có mùi sả rất thơm.This dish has a very fragrant lemongrass scent.
- Hãy cho thêm một chút sả vào canh.Please add a little lemongrass to the soup.
Example conversation
Hương and Tuấn are at a local market.
- HươngAnh Tuấn ơi, mua giúp em sả nhé.Tuấn, please buy some lemongrass for me.
- TuấnEm muốn mua bao nhiêu sả?How much lemongrass do you want to buy?
- HươngChỉ cần vài nhánh sả thôi ạ.Just a few stalks of lemongrass is enough.
- TuấnĐược rồi, để anh đi mua.Alright, let me go buy it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry sả, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sả, CC BY-SA 4.0.
