đu đủ
[ʔɗu˧˧ ʔɗu˧˩]
The Vietnamese word for papaya is đu đủ. Wiktionary also lists thù đủ.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| đu đủ | [ʔɗu˧˧ ʔɗu˧˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔɗʊw˧˧ ʔɗʊw˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
| thù đủ | [tʰu˨˩ ʔɗu˧˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [tʰʊw˦˩ ʔɗʊw˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
The term is used to refer to the fruit known as papaya.
Which one should you use?
The standard spelling for the fruit is đu đủ. The form thù đủ is a variant.
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese culture, the papaya is often associated with fertility and abundance because its name sounds like the word for 'sufficiency'.
- The component thù in the variant thù đủ is a Sino-Vietnamese word derived from the Chinese character 讎, which relates to 'enmity' or 'hostility'.
- Vietnamese cuisine uses both the ripe fruit and the unripe green papaya, the latter of which is treated as a vegetable in savory salads and soups.
Examples in context
- Tôi thích ăn đu đủ.I like eating papaya.
- Quả đu đủ này rất ngọt.This papaya is very sweet.
- Bạn có muốn mua đu đủ không?Do you want to buy some papaya?
Example conversation
At a local fruit market.
- ChiAnh Hùng ơi, đu đủ ở đây có ngon không?Hung, is the papaya here good?
- HùngĐu đủ ở đây rất tươi và ngọt.The papaya here is very fresh and sweet.
- ChiVậy tôi sẽ mua một quả đu đủ.Then I will buy one papaya.
- HùngĐược rồi, để tôi chọn cho chị.Okay, let me choose one for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “papaya” translations and entries đu đủ, thù đủ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries thù, đủ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
