cười
[kɨəj˨˩]
In Vietnamese, to smile is cười. Wiktionary also lists cười mỉm.
Meaning: to have a smile on one's face (verb)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| cười | [kɨəj˨˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [kɨj˦˩] (Huế, narrow) |
| cười mỉm | [kɨəj˨˩ mim˧˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [kɨj˦˩ mim˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
The verb cười is a broad term that can mean both to smile and to laugh (producing sound), depending on the context. If you want to encourage someone to smile or cheer up, you can use the expression cười lên, which literally translates to 'smile up'. When using the noun form of the word, you can describe specific types of smiles, such as nụ cười đáng yêu (adorable smile), nụ cười thân thiện (friendly smile) or nụ cười tươi (radiant smile).
Which one should you use?
While cười is a general term for smiling or laughing, cười mỉm specifically refers to a gentle smile where the lips remain closed or a smile where one smiles slightly without opening the mouth.
Related words
Did you know?
- In Vietnam, a smile cười does not always signal happiness. It can be used to politely mask embarrassment, apologize for a mistake or hide discomfort in social situations.
- The word nụ in nụ cười literally means 'a bud', as in a flower bud, suggesting a smile is something that blossoms.
- If you describe a smile as tươi, you are using a word that also means 'fresh' or 'raw' in the context of vegetables or fruit.
Examples in context
- Hãy cười lên đi.Please smile.This is useful for encouraging someone to smile using cười.Tatoeba #13339696 by leucammieuvu, translation #1852296 by CK
- Bạn ít khi cười.You rarely smile.This shows how to describe the frequency of an action using cười.Tatoeba #13340803 by leucammieuvu, translation #6196078 by CK
- Điều gì làm bạn cười?What makes you smile?This is an example of asking about the cause of a smile using cười.Tatoeba #13666262 by leucammieuvu, translation #4233773 by CK
- Chị có một nụ cười rất đẹp.Your smile is beautiful, sister.
- Hãy để tôi nhìn thấy nụ cười của bạn.Let me see your smile.
- Hãy cười lên! Mọi thứ sẽ ổn thôi.Just smile! Everything will be fine.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tuấn and Chi are taking a photo together.
- TuấnChi ơi, hãy cười lên nào!Chi, please smile!
- ChiEm đang cười đây này.I am smiling right now.
- TuấnNụ cười của em rất đẹp.Your smile is very beautiful.
- ChiCảm ơn anh nhé.Thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “smile” translations and entries cười, cười mỉm, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
