Hoa Kỳ
The English phrase 'united states' is translated into Vietnamese as Hoa Kỳ.
Hoa Kỳ refers to the country in North America.
Meaning: country in North America (name)
Which one should you use?
While Hoa Kỳ is the formal name for the United States, Mỹ is the much more common, shorter way to refer to the country in everyday conversation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Hoa Kỳ is a formal term typically used in formal contexts such as news reports, official documents and academic writing. In natural speech, Vietnamese speakers often add the word 'nước' (country) before 'Mỹ' to say nước Mỹ.
Did you know?
- The formal name Hoa Kỳ uses a word for 'flag' or 'banner' in its Sino-Vietnamese roots, essentially meaning 'the United Flag'.
- The word Mỹ is a homonym in Vietnamese, meaning it can refer to the 'United States', 'beauty' or be a common given name for people.
- The term Hoa Kỳ is a Sino-Vietnamese word, meaning its roots come from Chinese characters rather than native Vietnamese origins.
Examples in context
- Cô ấy được sinh ra ở Hoa Kỳ.She was born in the United States.This sentence is useful for stating where someone was born using Hoa Kỳ.Tatoeba #9010664 by dotheduyet1999, translation #7529232 by deniko
- Cô ấy rời Pháp để đến Hoa Kỳ.She left France for the United States.This sentence is useful for describing travel from one country to Hoa Kỳ.Tatoeba #8999118 by dotheduyet1999, translation #1355906 by AMIKEMA
- Họ có ý định di cư sang Hoa Kỳ.They are going to emigrate to the United States.This sentence is useful for discussing the intention to emigrate to Hoa Kỳ.Tatoeba #9001525 by dotheduyet1999, translation #1355915 by AMIKEMA
- Hoa Kỳ là một quốc gia có nền kinh tế phát triển mạnh.The United States is a country with a strong developed economy.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mai and Minh are discussing their future travel plans.
- MaiAnh muốn đi du lịch Hoa Kỳ không?Do you want to travel to the United States?
- MinhCó, tôi luôn muốn đến Hoa Kỳ.Yes, I have always wanted to go to the United States.
- MaiChúng ta nên lên kế hoạch ngay bây giờ.We should make a plan right now.
- MinhĐúng vậy, tôi sẽ tìm vé máy bay.That's right, I will look for plane tickets.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Hoa Kỳ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Hoa, Kỳ, hoa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
