rau
[zaw˧˧]
The Vietnamese word for vegetables is rau.
rau is used to refer to plants or parts of plants used as food. In health contexts, the phrase ăn rau is commonly used when advising someone to eat more fiber or a balanced diet.
Which one should you use?
While rau refers generally to leafy greens or vegetables, rau củ specifically emphasizes vegetables that are roots or tubers (like carrots or potatoes).
How does it change in a sentence?
To express 'different kinds of vegetables' or to pluralize the concept more formally, you can use 'các loại rau'.
Did you know?
- The word rau is used in the phrase rau má to describe Pennywort, a plant used both as a vegetable and a popular sweet drink in Vietnam.
- Vietnamese cuisine treats many aromatic herbs, like mint and coriander, as rau rather than just garnishes or seasonings.
- Many Vietnamese meals include a side plate of rau sống, which consists of raw, unseasoned herbs and greens used to wrap meat or fish.
Examples in context
- Tôi thích rau củ.I like vegetables.This sentence shows how to express a preference for the form rau.Tatoeba #13809565 by leucammieuvu, translation #13808936 by rul
- Cửa hàng đó bán rau.This store sells vegetables.This sentence demonstrates how to state that a store sells the form rau.Tatoeba #9715759 by dotheduyet1999, translation #1123572 by CK
- Sao không ăn rau vậy?Why don't you eat vegetables?This sentence is a way to ask why someone is not eating the form rau.Tatoeba #5829 by trieuho, translation #1763 by Swift
- Làm ơn cho tôi một cái bắp cảiPlease give me a cabbage
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lan and Nam are preparing a meal in the kitchen.
- LanNam ơi, em cần mua thêm rau.Nam, I need to buy more vegetables.
- NamAnh sẽ đi mua ngay đây.I will go buy them right now.
- LanMua thêm cả rau xanh nữa nhé.Please buy some green vegetables too.
- NamĐược rồi, anh sẽ mua đủ.Okay, I will buy enough.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry rau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
