ong bắp cày
[ʔawŋ͡m˧˧ ʔɓap̚˧˦ kaj˨˩]
The Vietnamese word for wasp is ong bắp cày.
ong bắp cày is used to refer to the insect known as a wasp.
Meaning: insect (noun)
Did you know?
- The term ong bắp cày contains bắp, which is the word for 'corn' or 'maize'.
- The term cày in ong bắp cày is a cognate of the Sanskrit word 'lāṅgala', which refers to a plough-shaped beam. This connects the Vietnamese name to ancient Indian agricultural terminology.
- While ong refers to a wasp here, it is also the root for 'honey bee' in Vietnamese. This highlights how the same word can describe different types of stinging insects.
Examples in context
- Cẩn thận! Con ong chuối đang bay xung quanh đó.Be careful! The wasp is flying around there.
- Tôi thấy một con ong bắp cày.I see a wasp.
- Đừng chạm vào con ong bắp cày đó.Don't touch that wasp.
- Con ong bắp cày đang bay trên cao.The wasp is flying high up.
Example conversation
Hùng and Mai are walking in a garden.
- HùngMai, nhìn kìa, có con ong bắp cày!Mai, look, there is a wasp!
- MaiĐáng sợ quá, mình đi chỗ khác thôi.That is scary, let's go somewhere else.
- HùngHãy đi thật chậm để nó không bay theo.Let's walk very slowly so it doesn't follow us.
- MaiĐúng rồi, Hùng cẩn thận nhé.Right, be careful, Hùng.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wasp” translations and entries ong bắp cày, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cày, ong, CC BY-SA 4.0.
