mắc ca
[mak̚˧˦ kaː˧˧]word by word
The English phrase "macadamia nut" is translated into Vietnamese as mắc ca.
mắc ca is used to refer to the macadamia tree or the nut in a general sense. If you want to be more specific about the edible seed itself, you can use the phrase hạt mắc ca.
Meaning: edible seed of the macadamia tree (noun)
Which one should you use?
mắc ca refers broadly to the plant or the nut, whereas adding the word hạt as in hạt mắc ca makes the phrase more specific to the actual edible seed.
Did you know?
- Vietnamese describes macadamia nuts as nữ hoàng của các loại hạt, which means 'the queen of nuts'.
- The second syllable in mắc ca is likely a phonetic borrowing from the French word quart, reflecting a history of French influence on Vietnamese terminology.
- While mắc ca is a loanword, the word mắc is also used as a verb meaning 'to carry something on one's back'.
Examples in context
- Tôi muốn mua một vài quả hạnh Macadamia.I would like to buy some macadamia nuts.
- Bạn có bán Quả hạnh Macadamia không?Do you sell macadamia nuts?
- Tôi rất thích ăn mắc ca.I really like eating macadamia nuts.
- Mắc ca này rất béo và thơm.These macadamia nuts are very fatty and fragrant.
- Bạn có muốn ăn thêm mắc ca không?Do you want to eat more macadamia nuts?
Example conversation
Hùng and Lan are sharing snacks at a coffee shop.
- HùngLan ơi, ăn thử mắc ca này đi.Lan, try this macadamia nut.
- LanMắc ca này ngon quá Hùng ạ.These macadamia nuts are so delicious, Hùng.
- HùngNó có vị bùi rất đặc trưng.It has a very characteristic nutty flavor.
- LanĐúng vậy, mình rất thích loại hạt này.That's right, I really like this kind of nut.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “macadamia nut” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (mắc, ca) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ca, mắc, CC BY-SA 4.0.
