Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| dạy | [zaj˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, narrow) [jaj˨˩ʔ] (Huế, narrow) |
| dạy học | [zaj˧˨ʔ hawk͡p̚˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, narrow) [jaj˨˩ʔ hawk͡p̚˨˩ʔ] (Huế, narrow) |
| dạy bảo | [zaj˧˨ʔ ʔɓaːw˧˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [jaj˨˩ʔ ʔɓaːw˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
| dạy dỗ | [zaj˧˨ʔ zo˦ˀ˥] (Hà Nội, narrow) [jaj˨˩ʔ jow˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
The most common and general way to say 'teach' is dạy. When you want to specify a subject being taught, use the structure dạy followed by the subject name, such as dạy địa lí (teach geography).
Which one should you use?
While dạy is the general verb, dạy học specifically refers to the professional or formal act of teaching students in a school setting. Dạy bảo is used when teaching involves giving advice, guidance or moral instruction, typically from an elder to a younger person. Dạy dỗ is used to describe the process of teaching and raising a child, focusing on character building and upbringing.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that someone is currently teaching (the continuous aspect), add the word đang before dạy, resulting in đang dạy.
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese culture, the act of teaching is deeply tied to the concept of 'filial piety', making the relationship between a teacher and student similar to that of a parent and child.
- The term dạy dỗ combines 'to teach' with the word dỗ, which means 'to coax' or 'to soothe'. This implies that teaching a child is as much about calming and nurturing them as it is about instruction.
- The phrase dạy học literally translates to 'teaching learning'. It is a common linguistic pattern in Vietnamese to combine a verb with its direct object to create a formal noun or action.
Examples in context
- Tôi dạy địa lí.I teach geography.This sentence shows how to state that you teach geography using dạy.Tatoeba #13640318 by leucammieuvu, translation #2909062 by CK
- Tôi dạy lịch sử.I teach history.This sentence shows how to state that you teach history using dạy.Tatoeba #13340834 by leucammieuvu, translation #5858195 by CK
- Bạn dạy tiếng Ả rập.You teach Arabic.This sentence shows how to state that someone else teaches Arabic using dạy.Tatoeba #1550428 by trieuho, translation #687982 by lukaszpp
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their hobbies.
- MinhChi có biết chơi đàn guitar không?Chi, do you know how to play the guitar?
- ChiMình biết, mình có thể dạy Minh.I do, I can teach Minh.
- MinhThật vậy sao? Cảm ơn Chi nhiều nhé!Really? Thank you so much, Chi!
- ChiKhông có gì, cuối tuần này bắt đầu nhé.No problem, let's start this weekend.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “teach” translations and entries dạy, dạy học, dạy bảo, dạy dỗ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bảo, dạy bảo, dạy dỗ, dạy học, dỗ, học, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
