Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| đau | [ʔɗaw˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔɗaw˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
| sự đau đớn |
đau is the most common and general term for pain in Vietnamese. It can describe common physical aches, such as combining it with body parts like đầu (head) to form đau đầu (headache). For more specific sensations, you might encounter đau nhức, which refers to a dull, persistent or throbbing ache often felt in muscles or joints. While not part of the primary forms, the term khổ is also used when referring to severe physical or emotional suffering and hardship.
Which one should you use?
đau is typically used for common physical aches. In contrast, sự đau đớn is a more formal and abstract noun used to describe intense physical or emotional suffering.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word đau is versatile and functions as both a noun (pain) and a verb (to ache or to be painful) depending on the context of your sentence.
Did you know?
- The word sự in sự đau đớn originally comes from a Chinese word for 'abstract thing'. While it functions as a suffix in Chinese, it was transformed into a prefix in Vietnamese to better fit the local language structure.
- While đau describes the sensation of pain, Vietnamese uses the word khổ to describe the state of suffering or hardship. khổ is often used for life struggles that go beyond a simple physical ache.
Examples in context
- Tôi bị đau bụng.I have a pain in my stomach.This sentence is useful for saying you have a pain in your stomach using đau.Tatoeba #7664038 by titto98, translation #12196973 by CK
- Tôi bị đau lưng.I have back pain.This sentence is useful for describing back pain using đau.Tatoeba #13628439 by leucammieuvu, translation #13627471 by Ahmd
- Tôi bị đau ngực.I've got chest pain.This sentence is useful for expressing chest pain using đau.Tatoeba #13944114 by leucammieuvu, translation #13944079 by rul
- Bà mẹ già thường chịu đựng sự khổ đau của bệnh tật.The old mother often endures the suffering of illness.
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Minh is asking Hương about her injury after she fell.
- MinhTay em có đau không?Does your arm ache?
- HươngCó, nó rất đau.Yes, it is very painful.
- MinhĐể anh xem vết thương của em.Let me look at your wound.
- HươngCảm ơn anh, Minh.Thank you, Minh.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pain” translations and entries đau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sự, đau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
