sư tử
[sɨ˧˧ tɨ˧˩]
The English word "lion" is sư tử in Vietnamese.
sư tử refers to the big cat Panthera leo.
Meaning: big cat Panthera leo (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to a lion as a specific animal in a sentence, it is common to use the classifier con before sư tử, resulting in con sư tử. To make the phrase plural, you can add những before the classifier and the noun, forming những con sư tử.
Did you know?
- During the Lunar New Year, people perform the múa sư tử or 'lion dance'. While the dancers wear a costume, the dance is a spiritual ritual to bring good luck and drive away evil spirits.
- Because lions are not native to Vietnam, the word sư tử is often used to describe the mythical 'Guardian Lions' or 'Foo Dogs' seen at temple entrances.
- The second part of sư tử is tử, which is a common Sino-Vietnamese word for 'child'. This means the word for 'lion' literally incorporates a term for 'young one'.
Examples in context
- Sư tử ăn thịt.The lion eats the meat.This sentence shows how to use sư tử when describing what the animal eats.Tatoeba #4297330 by trieuho, translation #4297292 by thegui
- Con sư tử đó đang săn một con linh dương.The lion is hunting an antelope.This sentence demonstrates using sư tử to describe the animal hunting.Tatoeba #9096751 by dotheduyet1999, translation #9096747 by sundown
- Tôi đã rất ngạc nhiên khi thấy một con sư tử trên đường phố.I was surprised to see a lion on the street.This sentence shows how to use sư tử when expressing surprise at seeing one.Tatoeba #11395588 by chaule3, translation #11395584 by chaule3
Example conversation
Lan and Minh are watching a nature documentary on TV.
- LanCon sư tử trong phim trông thật oai phong.The lion in the movie looks so majestic.
- MinhĐúng vậy, nó là chúa tể rừng xanh.That's true, it is the king of the jungle.
- LanMinh ơi, con sư tử kia đang ngủ kìa.Minh, look, that lion is sleeping over there.
- MinhNó trông thật lười biếng khi ngủ.It looks so lazy when it sleeps.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lion” translations and entries sư tử, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sư, sư tử, tử, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
