đầu hàng
[ʔɗəw˨˩ haːŋ˨˩]
The Vietnamese word for surrender is đầu hàng.
The term refers to the act of giving oneself up into the power of another.
Meaning: intransitive or reflexive: to give oneself up into the power of another (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of đầu (head) and hàng (to submit/yield), which literally means to bow one's head in submission.
Did you know?
- The term đầu hàng can be used metaphorically in romantic contexts to describe 'giving in' to someone's charms.
- Because Vietnamese is tonal, changing the tone of hàng can change the meaning from 'surrender' to 'goods' or 'row'.
- In the phrase đầu hàng, the character for 'yield' or 'descend' (降) is hidden within the Sino-Vietnamese origins of the word hàng.
Examples in context
- Bạn nên đầu hàng.You should surrender.This sentence is useful for showing how to use đầu hàng in a suggestion.Tatoeba #13344379 by leucammieuvu, translation #8282383 by CK
- Chúng tôi đầu hàng.We surrender.This sentence is useful for showing a simple subject-verb construction with đầu hàng.Tatoeba #13334016 by leucammieuvu, translation #2246291 by Hybrid
- Tôi từ bỏI give up
- Kẻ địch đã đầu hàng.The enemy has surrendered.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a video game.
- LanAnh có định đầu hàng không?Are you going to surrender?
- HùngKhông, tôi sẽ chiến đấu đến cùng.No, I will fight to the end.
- LanHùng thật là dũng cảm.Hung is so brave.
- HùngCảm ơn Lan.Thanks, Lan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “surrender” translations and entries đầu hàng, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hàng, đầu, đầu hàng, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
