cô ấy
[ko˧˧ ʔəj˧˦]
In Vietnamese, the English phrase "she" can be translated in several ways. The default form is cô ấy. Wiktionary also lists chị ấy and bà ấy.
Meaning: person (pron)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| cô ấy | [ko˧˧ ʔəj˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [kow˧˧ ʔəj˨˩˦] (Huế, narrow) |
| chị ấy | [t͡ɕi˧˨ʔ ʔəj˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [t͡ɕɪj˨˩ʔ ʔəj˨˩˦] (Huế, narrow) |
| bà ấy | [ʔɓaː˨˩ ʔəj˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔɓaː˦˩ ʔəj˨˩˦] (Huế, narrow) |
| nó | [nɔ˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [nɔ˨˩˦] (Huế, narrow) |
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase cô ấy is composed of cô (a title for a woman/miss) and ấy (that).
Which one should you use?
chị ấy is used for a woman who is older (typically an older sister figure). cô ấy is used for a woman of roughly similar or slightly younger age than the speaker. bà ấy is used to refer to an elderly woman or a woman of much higher social status/seniority. nó can mean "she" or "it" and is used to refer to a girl or woman of much lower status, a child or someone very close/informal.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful as it can sound rude if used for an adult.
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese, referring to a woman as nó can be a sign of extreme intimacy or affection between very close friends, despite it being potentially rude.
- The word cô can be a Sino-Vietnamese translation of the Chinese word for 'lonesome'.
- Because Vietnamese pronouns are based on social hierarchy, a speaker may switch between chị ấy, cô ấy, and bà ấy for the same woman as she ages.
Examples in context
- Cô ấy đã khócShe cried.This sentence is useful for describing the action of crying using cô ấy.Tatoeba #1548774 by trieuho, translation #313193 by CK
- Cô ấy đã sai.She was wrong.This sentence is useful for stating that cô ấy was wrong.Tatoeba #9095545 by dotheduyet1999, translation #1756893 by Spamster
- Cô ấy xì mũi.She blew her nose.This sentence is useful for describing the action of blowing one's nose using cô ấy.Tatoeba #9916661 by dotheduyet1999, translation #7384617 by CH
- Mỹ là bạn thân của tôi. Nó đang học tiếng Việt.My is my best friend. She is learning Vietnamese.
- Nhân viên mới đến là cô ấy.She is the new employee.
- Cô ấy đang học tiếng Việt.She is learning Vietnamese.
- Tôi đã gặp cô ấy trong cuộc họp.I met her during the meeting.
- 759 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hùng and Lan are talking about a mutual friend.
- HùngLan, cô ấy có đến bữa tiệc không?Lan, is she coming to the party?
- LanCó, cô ấy sẽ đến lúc bảy giờ.Yes, she will arrive at seven o'clock.
- HùngCô ấy có mang theo quà không?Is she bringing a gift?
- LanTôi không chắc, để tôi hỏi cô ấy.I'm not sure, let me ask her.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “she” translations and entries cô ấy, chị ấy, bà ấy, nó, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bà ấy, chị, chị ấy, cô, cô ấy, ấy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
