đậu phụ
[ʔɗəw˧˨ʔ fu˧˨ʔ]
The English phrase tofu is translated into Vietnamese as đậu phụ. Wiktionary also lists tàu hủ and đậu khuôn.
Meaning: protein-rich food made from curdled soy milk (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| đậu phụ | [ʔɗəw˧˨ʔ fu˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔɗəw˨˩ʔ fʊw˨˩ʔ] (Huế, narrow) |
| tàu hủ | [taw˨˩ hu˧˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [taw˦˩ hʊw˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
| đậu khuôn | |
| đậu hủ | [ʔɗəw˧˨ʔ hu˧˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔɗəw˨˩ʔ hʊw˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
The terms refer to the protein-rich food made from curdled soy milk. You can use the phrase có đậu hũ không? to ask if a dish contains tofu.
What does it mean word for word?
In the term đậu phụ, đậu means bean or legume, while phụ means secondary or auxiliary.
Which one should you use?
While đậu phụ and tàu hủ both mean tofu, they are regional variations used to distinguish Northern from Southern speech.
Is it said differently in some regions?
đậu phụ is more frequently used in Northern Vietnam, particularly around Hanoi. tàu hủ is the term most commonly used in Southern Vietnam.
Did you know?
- Vietnamese has a specific term tào phớ for a soft, sweet tofu pudding served as a snack or breakfast, which differs from the savory blocks of đậu phụ.
- The Southern variation tàu hủ is actually a linguistic relic of Cantonese influence, rather than a purely Vietnamese construction.
- The word đậu can also mean 'to park' or 'to land' (as in a bird landing on a branch), showing how a single syllable can cover vastly different semantic fields.
Examples in context
- Cho tôi một đĩa đậu sốt cà chua, xin cảm ơn!Please give me a plate of tofu with tomato sauce, thank you!
- Tôi muốn mua đậu phụ.I want to buy tofu.
- Món này có đậu phụ không?Does this dish have tofu?
- Đậu phụ rất ngon.The tofu is very delicious.
Example conversation
A conversation between two friends at a local market.
- NamLan ơi, em có muốn ăn đậu phụ không?Lan, do you want to eat tofu?
- LanCó, em thích ăn đậu phụ rán.Yes, I like eating fried tofu.
- NamVậy để anh mua cho em nhé.Then let me buy some for you.
- LanCảm ơn anh, Nam.Thank you, Nam.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tofu” translations and entries đậu phụ, tàu hủ, đậu hủ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries phụ, tàu hủ, đậu, đậu phụ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
