bố mẹ
[ʔɓo˧˦ mɛ˧˨ʔ]word by word
The English phrase "mom and dad" is translated into Vietnamese as bố mẹ.
bố mẹ is a collective term used to refer to one's father and mother.
Which one should you use?
bố mẹ is the standard way to say "mom and dad" in Northern Vietnamese dialects, while ba mẹ is a common alternative used in Southern Vietnamese dialects.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Southern Vietnamese dialects, ba mẹ is commonly used instead of bố mẹ.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase bố mẹ functions as a single unit and does not require a conjunction like và (and) to mean "mom and dad".
Did you know?
- The word bố is a 'doublet' with the word vải, meaning they both share an ancient root related to cloth, though they are used in completely different contexts today.
- Both bố and mẹ are considered 'nursery words', meaning they are the very first sounds babies typically attempt to mimic due to their simple phonetic structure.
Examples in context
- Cảm ơn, cha ạ!Thank you, Dad!
- Bố mẹ tôi rất khỏe.My mom and dad are very healthy.
- Con sẽ về thăm bố mẹ.I will come back to visit my mom and dad.
- Bố mẹ anh ấy đang ở quê.His mom and dad are in the countryside.
Example conversation
Hương and Hùng are talking about their weekend plans.
- HươngCuối tuần này bạn làm gì?What are you doing this weekend?
- HùngTôi sẽ về thăm bố mẹ.I will go back to visit my mom and dad.
- HươngBố mẹ bạn ở quê nào?Which hometown are your mom and dad from?
- HùngBố mẹ tôi ở Nam Định.My mom and dad are from Nam Dinh.
