oẳn tù tì
[ʔwan˧˩ tu˨˩ ti˨˩]
Rock paper scissors in Vietnamese is oẳn tù tì. Wiktionary also lists xù xi and kéo búa bao.
Meaning: popular child's game (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| oẳn tù tì | [ʔwan˧˩ tu˨˩ ti˨˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔwaŋ˧˨ tʊw˦˩ tɪj˦˩] (Huế, narrow) |
| xù xi | |
| kéo búa bao |
The phrase refers to the popular child's game. You can use the informal phrase Chơi Kéo Búa Bao to say "Let's play Rock Paper Scissors".
Which one should you use?
oẳn tù tì is the most common name for the game, while kéo búa bao describes the actual hand gestures used. kéo búa bao literally translates to "scissors hammer cloth".
When do people say it?
Children use the standard rhythmic chant Oẳn tù tì, ra cái gì, ra cái này! which means "Rock paper scissors, what I got, I got this" or "Rock paper scissors, what are you showing, I'm showing this!"
Did you know?
- The alternative phrase xù xi contains a word derived from the French words cire or cirage, meaning 'wax' or 'shoe polish'.
- The word bao used for 'paper' literally means 'cloth' or 'bag' in Vietnamese.
- In the sequence kéo búa bao, the order of symbols (scissors, hammer, cloth) differs from the English 'rock, paper, scissors' order.
Examples in context
- Oẳn tù tì, ra cái gì, ra cái nàyRock paper scissors, what I got, I got this.This sentence is useful for learning the standard rhythmic chant used when playing the game.
- Chơi Kéo Búa Bao.Let's play Rock Paper Scissors.
- Em muốn thắng trận oẳn tù tì này.I want to win this rock paper scissors match.
Example conversation
Minh and Chi are deciding who will wash the dishes.
- MinhHãy chơi oẳn tù tì để quyết định nhé.Let's play rock paper scissors to decide.
- ChiĐồng ý, mình bắt đầu thôi.Agreed, let's start.
- MinhOẳn tù tì, ra cái gì ra cái này!Rock paper scissors, what will it be!
- ChiMinh thắng rồi, mình sẽ rửa bát.Minh won, I will wash the dishes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rock paper scissors” translations and entries oẳn tù tì, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bao, búa, kéo, oẳn tù tì, tì, tù, xi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
