Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| đồ lót | [ʔɗo˨˩ lɔt̚˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔɗow˦˩ lɔk̚˦˧˥] (Huế, narrow) |
| quần áo lót | |
| quần lót | |
| quần sịp | [kwən˨˩ sip̚˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, narrow) [kwəŋ˦˩ ʂip̚˨˩ʔ] (Huế, narrow) |
| quần xi-líp | [kwən˨˩ si˧˧ lip̚˧˦] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
| quần xì | [kwən˨˩ si˨˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [kwəŋ˦˩ sɪj˦˩] (Huế, narrow) |
| quần chíp | [kwən˨˩ t͡ɕip̚˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [kwəŋ˦˩ t͡ɕip̚˦˧˥] (Huế, narrow) |
| quần trong | [kwən˨˩ t͡ɕawŋ͡m˧˧] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
| quần nhỏ | [kwən˨˩ ɲɔ˧˩] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
The term refers to clothes worn next to the skin. While đồ lót is the general term for all underwear, other forms are used to specify whether you are talking about the entire category or specifically the bottoms.
What does it mean word for word?
The term đồ lót is composed of đồ, meaning stuff, goods or clothes and lót, meaning to line or to pad, literally meaning 'lining clothes'.
Which one should you use?
Đồ lót is a general term for all underwear. In contrast, quần lót specifically refers to underwear bottoms, such as panties or briefs. Other specific forms include quần xi-líp, which is a Vietnamese phonetic adaptation of the French word 'slip'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Quần sịp is a common colloquial term used specifically for men's underwear. For a more informal, slightly cute or playful way to refer to underwear, often used when speaking to children or in casual settings, you can use quần chíp.
Did you know?
- While it now means 'pants' or 'trousers', the word quần has its etymological roots in a word for 'skirt'.
- In many casual contexts, people use quần chíp, which sounds like the English word 'chip', to refer to underwear in a cute or playful way.
- The term quần xì is a highly informal slang term for underwear that echoes the 'cute' sounding nature of quần chíp, though it is used more broadly in casual street speech.
Examples in context
- Bằng chứng duy nhất là dấu vết tinh trùng ở cái quần lót.The only evidence was the traces of semen stuck to the underwear.This sentence is useful for seeing the term quần lót used in a forensic context.Tatoeba #9035528 by dotheduyet1999, translation #393913 by blay_paul
- Tôi cần mua một chiếc quần lót mới.I need to buy new underwear.
- Tớ quên mất đem áo lót đi rồi.I forgot to bring my underwear.
- Cô ấy đang mua đồ lót mới.She is buying new underwear.
- Đừng quên mang theo đồ lót khi đi du lịch.Don't forget to bring underwear when traveling.
Example conversation
Nam and Mai are checking a suitcase before a trip.
- NamEm đã chuẩn bị xong đồ lót chưa?Have you prepared your underwear yet?
- MaiEm chuẩn bị đầy đủ trong vali rồi.I have prepared everything in the suitcase.
- NamVậy thì tốt, chúng ta có thể đi thôi.That's good, then we can go.
- MaiĐợi em một chút nhé.Wait for me a moment.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “underwear” translations and entries đồ lót, quần sịp, quần xì, quần chíp, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (quần, xi-líp, trong, nhỏ) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries quần, áo, đồ, đồ lót, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
