cháu trai
[t͡ɕaw˧˦ t͡ɕaːj˧˧]word by word
The Vietnamese word for nephew is cháu trai.
cháu trai is used to refer specifically to a fraternal or sororal nephew.
Meaning: fraternal or sororal nephew (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of cháu, which means grandchild, nephew or niece and trai, which means male.
Which one should you use?
While cháu trai refers to a nephew, the term cháu gái is used to refer to a niece.
How does it change in a sentence?
In many contexts, the gender-neutral term cháu can be used to refer to a nephew if the gender is already understood from context.
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese culture, cháu is also used as a polite way to address any young person or child, even if they are not a relative.
- Unlike English, where 'nephew' describes a specific sibling relationship, cháu trai is the same word used for a grandson.
- The word cháu is a distant linguistic relative of the Khmer word ចៅ (caw), which also refers to a grandchild or descendant.
Examples in context
- Gặp cháu trai lúc nào cũng làm tôi vui.Seeing my nephew always makes me happy.
- Cháu trai của tôi đang học lớp một.My nephew is in first grade.
- Anh ấy là cháu trai duy nhất của tôi.He is my only nephew.
- Tôi muốn mua quà cho cháu trai.I want to buy a gift for my nephew.
Example conversation
Chi is showing Minh a photo on her phone.
- ChiNhìn này, đây là cháu trai của chị.Look, this is my nephew.
- MinhThằng bé trông giống chị quá.The boy looks just like you.
- ChiĐúng vậy, cháu trai chị rất thông minh.That's right, my nephew is very smart.
- MinhThật là một đứa trẻ dễ thương!What a cute child!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nephew” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (cháu, trai) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cháu, trai, CC BY-SA 4.0.
