tiệc
[tiək̚˧˨ʔ]
The English word 'party' (in the sense of a social gathering) is tiệc in Vietnamese.
tiệc refers to a social gathering. You can create specific types of parties by combining it with other words, such as tiệc cưới for a wedding party or tiệc sinh nhật for a birthday party. To describe the act of starting or kicking off a celebration, the idiomatic phrase mở tiệc is used.
Meaning: social gathering (noun)
Which one should you use?
While tiệc is the base word, adding classifiers changes the nuance. buổi tiệc emphasizes the party as a scheduled event or a specific period of time. In contrast, bữa tiệc emphasizes the meal or feast aspect of the gathering.
Did you know?
- The word tiệc shares an ancient root with the Chinese character for a 'mat' or 'seat', suggesting that a party was originally defined by the mats people sat on to eat.
- At a Vietnamese tiệc, it is common to see guests repeatedly clinking glasses and shouting Một, hai, ba, dô! to collectively energize the room.
- While tiệc refers to the gathering, the concept of a 'party' in a political sense is expressed by a completely different word, đảng, which has no linguistic connection to celebrations.
Examples in context
- Nó là buổi tiệc của bạn.It's your party.This sentence demonstrates the use of tiệc to show ownership of a party.Tatoeba #4789650 by tucm, translation #2249387 by CK
- Mấy giờ thì bắt đầu mở tiệc?What time does the party start?This sentence shows how to ask about the start time of a tiệc.Tatoeba #5759033 by yippe, translation #4013222 by CK
- Anh ấy đã có mặt ở bữa tiệc.He was present at the party.This sentence illustrates how to express someone's presence at a tiệc.Tatoeba #12132359 by phongvu, translation #35676 by CK
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lan and Minh are talking about a birthday celebration.
- LanNgày mai bạn có đi dự tiệc không?Are you attending the party tomorrow?
- MinhCó, mình sẽ đến đó lúc bảy giờ.Yes, I will be there at seven o'clock.
- LanChúng ta nên mua quà gì cho buổi tiệc nhỉ?What gift should we buy for the party?
- MinhMột chiếc bánh kem là tuyệt nhất rồi.A cake would be the best.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “party” translations and entries tiệc, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tiệc, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
