cô gái xinh đẹp
[ko˧˧ ɣaːj˧˦ sïŋ˧˧ ʔɗɛp̚˧˨ʔ]word by word
The English phrase "pretty girl" is translated into Vietnamese as cô gái xinh đẹp.
The phrase is used to describe a girl or young woman who is attractive or pleasing to look at.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase cô gái xinh đẹp is composed of cô gái, meaning "girl" and xinh đẹp, meaning "beautiful" or "pretty".
Which one should you use?
The standard, complete way to say "pretty girl" is cô gái xinh đẹp. For a more clipped version frequently used in casual conversation or on social media, you can use gái xinh.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Vietnamese, the adjective xinh đẹp follows the noun cô gái to modify it.
Did you know?
- The term xinh is a non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of the Chinese character 清, which generally means 'clear' or 'pure'.
- The term cô can function as a Sino-Vietnamese loanword meaning 'aunt', showcasing how different layers of language overlap in a single phrase.
- Depending on the context, the word cô could also be a shortened version of cô giáo, which means 'female teacher'.
Examples in context
- Cô gái xinh đẹp ngồi cạnh Jack là ai?Who is the pretty girl sitting beside Jack?This sentence shows how to use cô gái xinh đẹp when asking about someone's identity.Tatoeba #3228478 by monday0rsunday, translation #53156 by CN
- Cô gái xinh như hoaA girl as beautiful as a flower
- Cô gái xinh đẹp đó đang đọc sách.That pretty girl is reading a book.
- Tôi muốn trở thành một cô gái xinh đẹp.I want to become a pretty girl.
Example conversation
Lan and Minh are walking in a park.
- LanNhìn kìa, cô gái xinh đẹp quá!Look, that girl is so pretty!
- MinhĐúng vậy, cô ấy rất cuốn hút.True, she is very attractive.
- LanMinh có muốn làm quen không?Do you want to get to know her, Minh?
- MinhKhông, tôi ngại lắm.No, I'm too shy.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (cô, gái, xinh, đẹp) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cô, gái, xinh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
