cam
[kaːm˧˧]
The English word orange can be translated into Vietnamese as cam. Wiktionary also lists quả cam and trái cam.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| cam | [kaːm˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [kaːm˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
| quả cam | [kwaː˧˩ kaːm˧˧] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
| trái cam | [t͡ɕaːj˧˦ kaːm˧˧] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
The word cam is used both for the fruit and for the color orange.
Which one should you use?
In Northern Vietnamese dialects, quả cam is the more common way to refer to an orange than trái cam.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Vietnamese, the noun cam is often preceded by the classifier quả to specify a single piece of fruit.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Tôi đã ăn một quả cam.I ate an orange.This sentence is useful for practicing the word cam in the context of eating a single orange.Tatoeba #13666131 by leucammieuvu, translation #5850910 by CK
- Đi qua cái cửa màu cam.Go through the orange door.This sentence shows how cam is used to describe the color of a door.Tatoeba #3467880 by tucm, translation #3170741 by CK
- Quả cam này không ngon.This orange isn’t delicious.This sentence demonstrates using cam to describe the quality of an orange.Tatoeba #14028734 by leucammieuvu, translation #8980182 by Analu_Kalaka
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a local fruit stall in a market.
- MaiCó cam ngọt không anh?Are there any sweet oranges, sir?
- MinhCó, cam này rất tươi.Yes, these oranges are very fresh.
- MaiCho tôi mua ba quả cam.Let me buy three oranges.
- MinhĐây là cam của chị.Here are your oranges.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “orange” translations and entries cam, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (quả, cam, trái) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cam, quả, trái, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
