cú
[ku˧˦]
The English word "owl" is cú in Vietnamese.
cú refers to the owl. You may also see the term cú đêm, which is an idiom used to describe a person who stays up late at night, similar to the English expression "night owl".
Meaning: bird (noun)
Which one should you use?
While cú is the core word, chim cú is a common way to specify that you are referring to the bird species.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are referring to an owl as a specific animal, the classifier con is typically added before cú to form con cú.
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese folk beliefs, seeing an owl perched on a roof is often viewed as an omen of bad luck or impending death.
- The word cú is a homonym with a completely different origin, as it can also be a loanword from the French word 'coup', meaning a blow or a strike.
- In Vietnamese, the word cú is imitative, meaning it was likely created to mimic the actual sound of an owl's call.
Examples in context
- Nhờ đôi mắt của nó, con cú có thể nhìn rất tốt trong bóng tối.Thanks to its eyes, an owl can see really well in the dark.This sentence shows how the word cú is used when discussing an owl's ability to see in the dark.Tatoeba #13936232 by leucammieuvu, translation #13935820 by Ioan_Cristian
- Cú mèo luôn bay ra vào giờ tốiOwls always fly out at night
- Tôi thấy một con cú trên cây.I see an owl on the tree.
- Con cú đang đậu trên cành cây.The owl is perched on a branch.
Example conversation
Chi and Hung are walking through a forest at night.
- ChiHùng ơi, nhìn kìa, có một con cú!Hung, look, there is an owl!
- HùngĐúng rồi, con cú đó thật to.That's right, that owl is really big.
- ChiNó đang nhìn chúng ta đấy.It is looking at us.
- HùngĐừng sợ, nó sẽ bay đi thôi.Don't be afraid, it will fly away soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “owl” translations and entries cú, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cú, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
