miệng
[miəŋ˧˨ʔ]
The English word mouth is translated into Vietnamese as miệng or mồm.
Meaning: the opening of a creature through which food is ingested (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| miệng | [miəŋ˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, narrow) [miəŋ˨˩ʔ] (Huế, narrow) |
| mồm | [mom˨˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [mom˦˩] (Huế, narrow) |
Both terms refer to the opening of a creature through which food is ingested.
Which one should you use?
miệng is the standard, neutral and polite term for mouth used in most contexts. In contrast, mồm is a more colloquial and often blunt or rude way to say mouth, frequently used when expressing annoyance.
Did you know?
- In colloquial Vietnamese, mồm is often used to describe animals' mouths, as using the polite miệng for a pet or livestock can sound overly formal.
- The word miệng is used in the term miệng ăn, which refers to a 'mouth to feed' or a person dependent on a household for food.
- In Vietnamese, the word miệng is also the common word used for 'mouth' when referring to a bowl or a cup.
Examples in context
- Im mẹ mồm đi!Shut your big mouth.This sentence shows how to use mồm when telling someone to shut their mouth.Tatoeba #9844022 by dotheduyet1999, translation #323687 by CK
- Hãy há to miệng ra.Open your mouth wide.This sentence demonstrates how to use miệng when asking someone to open their mouth wide.Tatoeba #8991776 by dotheduyet1999, translation #240560 by CK
- Hãy thở thật sâu bằng miệng.Breathe deeply through your mouth.This sentence shows how to use miệng when talking about breathing through the mouth.Tatoeba #13657283 by leucammieuvu, translation #9853896 by NurseMeeks
- Anh ta đầy mồm nói chuyện.He speaks with a full mouth.
- Khi tôi cười, mọi người thấy răng trong miệng của tôi.When I smile, people can see my teeth in my mouth.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nam and Lan are at a dentist's office.
- NamAnh Nam, hãy mở miệng ra nào.Mr. Nam, please open your mouth.
- LanTôi thấy hơi đau ở miệng.I feel a bit of pain in my mouth.
- NamĐể tôi kiểm tra miệng cho anh.Let me check your mouth for you.
- LanVâng, cảm ơn chị Lan.Yes, thank you Ms. Lan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mouth” translations and entries miệng, mồm, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
