mấy giờ
[məj˧˦ zəː˨˩]word by word
The English phrase "what time" is mấy giờ in Vietnamese.
The phrase mấy giờ is used both to ask for the current time and to ask about the time of a specific event, such as asking what time someone eats.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of mấy (how many/how much) and giờ (hour/o'clock).
Which one should you use?
mấy giờ is typically used when the speaker expects a relatively small number or is asking generally. While bao nhiêu giờ is technically more precise for "how many hours," it is rarely used to ask for the current time.
How does it change in a sentence?
To ask "what time is it now?" in a natural, conversational way, add the particle rồi (already/now) to the end of the phrase to get mấy giờ rồi?
Did you know?
- The word giờ shares a common ancestor with the Japanese word ji and the Korean word si used for counting hours.
- In Central Vietnam, you may hear the word chừ instead of giờ when referring to time, which is a linguistic relative of the standard term.
- In formal or poetic Vietnamese, the word giờ may be replaced by thời to refer to an era or a grander sense of time rather than a clock hour.
Examples in context
- "Mấy giờ?" "Ba rưỡi.""What time?" "Three-thirty."This example shows a short exchange asking for the time.Tatoeba #13517442 by leucammieuvu, translation #13517046 by rul
- Cưng ơi, mấy giờ rồi?Darling, what time is it?This sentence is useful for asking what the current time is using the particle rồi.Tatoeba #14032255 by nhuttan2004, translation #14025862 by Ioan_Cristian
- Bạn hay ngủ lúc mấy giờ?What time do you usually go to bed?This sentence shows how to use the phrase to ask about the time of a specific activity.Tatoeba #8987307 by dotheduyet1999, translation #16775 by CK
- Xin hỏi bây giờ là mấy giờ?Excuse me, what is the current time?
- Bây giờ là mấy giờ vậy?What time is it now?
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chi and Tuấn are planning to meet for coffee.
- ChiMấy giờ chúng ta gặp nhau?What time shall we meet?
- TuấnMười giờ sáng được không?Is ten o'clock in the morning okay?
- ChiĐược, hẹn gặp Tuấn lúc đó.Okay, see you then, Tuấn.
- TuấnHẹn gặp lại Chi nhé.See you later, Chi.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (mấy, giờ) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries giờ, mấy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
