cá mập
[kaː˧˦ məp̚˧˨ʔ]
The English word "shark" is cá mập in Vietnamese. Wiktionary also lists cá nhám.
Meaning: fish (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| cá mập | [kaː˧˦ məp̚˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, narrow) [kaː˨˩˦ məp̚˨˩ʔ] (Huế, narrow) |
| cá nhám | [kaː˧˦ ɲaːm˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [kaː˨˩˦ ɲaːm˦˧˥] (Huế, narrow) |
The term cá mập is the general term for shark.
What does it mean word for word?
The word cá mập is composed of cá, meaning fish and mập, meaning fat or plump.
Which one should you use?
While cá mập is the general term for any shark, cá nhám is used to refer to specific types, such as smaller shark species or reef sharks.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are referring to a single shark as a specific object, you can add the classifier con before cá mập to form con cá mập.
Did you know?
- In some modern digital contexts, the spelling of 'fish' related words like cá has been manipulated by online sellers to bypass social media algorithms.
- While cá mập refers to the shark's size or girth, cá nhám refers to the 'rough' texture of the shark's skin.
Examples in context
- Anh có từng bắt được cá mập trước đây không?Have you ever caught a shark before?
- Tôi sợ cá mập.I am afraid of sharks.
- Con cá mập đang bơi kìa.Look, that shark is swimming.
- Có một con cá mập rất lớn.There is a very large shark.
Example conversation
Lan and Tuấn are watching a nature documentary on TV.
- LanTuấn ơi, nhìn con cá mập kia kìa!Tuấn, look at that shark over there!
- TuấnNó trông thật đáng sợ.It looks really scary.
- LanLan không thích cá mập chút nào.Lan does not like sharks at all.
- TuấnĐừng lo, chúng đang ở dưới biển sâu.Don't worry, they are deep in the ocean.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shark” translations and entries cá mập, cá nhám, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cá, cá mập, cá nhám, nhám, CC BY-SA 4.0.
