giày
[zaj˨˩]
The Vietnamese word for "shoe" is giày.
giày refers to a protective covering for the foot.
Meaning: protective covering for the foot (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use giày for closed shoes and dép for open footwear like sandals or flip-flops.
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify a pair of shoes, use the classifier đôi before the noun to form đôi giày.
Did you know?
- The word giày is a non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of the Chinese character 鞋, whereas the Sino-Vietnamese reading is hài.
- While giày is the general term, Vietnamese uses the specific word guốc for traditional wooden clogs, which were historically a symbol of elegance for women.
- In Vietnamese culture, it is customary to remove giày before entering a home or a temple to avoid bringing outside dirt and bad energy indoors.
Examples in context
- Tom đã ăn giày của tôi.Tom ate my shoe.This sentence shows how to use giày to indicate ownership.Tatoeba #10273129 by Alex_do, translation #9589160 by shekitten
- Nó quản lý một cửa hàng giày.She manages a shoe store.This sentence demonstrates using giày in the context of a retail store.Tatoeba #1571586 by trieuho, translation #313352 by CK
- Tôi muốn thử đôi này.I want to try this pair.
- Tôi đang đi giày.I am wearing shoes.
- Đôi giày này rất đẹp.This pair of shoes is very beautiful.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Minh and Chi are looking at shoes in a shopping mall.
- MinhChi ơi, em thích đôi giày nào?Chi, which shoes do you like?
- ChiEm thích đôi giày màu trắng kia.I like those white shoes over there.
- MinhAnh thấy nó cũng rất hợp với em.I think they suit you well too.
- ChiVậy mình đi thử nhé!Then let's go try them on!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shoe” translations and entries giày, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries giày, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
