dawb
/daɨ̯˥/
The Hmong word for white is dawb.
dawb is used to refer to the color white as a noun.
Meaning: color (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/daɨ̯˥/
Did you know?
- In Hmong, the word dawb is used not only for the color white but also to mean 'free of charge'.
- The Hmong language uses a Latin-based writing system called RPA, where the final 'b' in dawb is not pronounced as a consonant but indicates a specific tone.
- Because Hmong has various dialects, such as White Hmong and Green Hmong, the word dawb itself is used to name one of the major dialect groups.
Examples in context
- Nws yog ib xim dawb.It is a white color.
- Kuv nyiam xim dawb heev.I like the color white very much.
- Lub tsev no yog xim dawb.This house is white.
Example conversation
Nao and Xiong are looking at paint samples for a room.
- NaoKoj puas nyiam xim dawb?Do you like the color white?
- XiongTsis tshaj, kuv nyiam xim xyoob.Not really, I like green.
- NaoTab sis dawb saib zoo nkauj.But white looks beautiful.
- XiongKoj yog, peb yuav xim dawb.You are right, we will get white.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry dawb, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dawb, CC BY-SA 4.0.
