phụ nữ
[fu˧˨ʔ nɨ˦ˀ˥]
The English word 'woman' is translated into Vietnamese as phụ nữ. Wiktionary also lists đàn bà.
Meaning: adult female person (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| phụ nữ | [fu˧˨ʔ nɨ˦ˀ˥] (Hà Nội, narrow) [fʊw˨˩ʔ nɨ˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
| đàn bà | [ʔɗaːn˨˩ ʔɓaː˨˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔɗaːŋ˦˩ ʔɓaː˦˩] (Huế, narrow) |
The term refers to an adult female person.
Which one should you use?
phụ nữ is the standard, polite and neutral term for a woman used in most contexts. In contrast, đàn bà is a more colloquial and sometimes blunt or derogatory way to say woman, often used in casual speech or to describe gender in a more visceral sense.
Did you know?
- The colloquial term đàn bà literally translates to 'flock of madams'.
- Vietnamese has a complex system of kinship terms that often replace the word phụ nữ entirely when addressing someone directly.
- In Vietnamese, the word bà used in đàn bà is also a respectful title for an elderly woman or a grandmother.
Examples in context
- Tôi trở thành phụ nữ.I became a woman.This sentence shows the use of phụ nữ to describe a change in state.Tatoeba #13173362 by leucammieuvu, translation #872030 by BlueLagoon
- Người phụ nữ đó là ai?Who's that woman?This sentence demonstrates how to identify a specific phụ nữ.Tatoeba #13666110 by leucammieuvu, translation #6440582 by CK
- Người phụ nữ không làm việc.The woman doesn't work.This sentence shows a simple statement regarding a phụ nữ.Tatoeba #13921828 by leucammieuvu, translation #13921511 by Le_puera_in_le_umbra
- Cô ấy là phụ nữ thành đạt.She is a successful woman.
- Gởi lời chào đến các con gái xinh đẹp trong nhóm!Send my greetings to the beautiful girls in the group!
- 39 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mai and Hùng are discussing a guest speaker at a conference.
- MaiNgười phụ nữ kia là diễn giả phải không?Is that woman the speaker?
- HùngĐúng rồi, cô ấy rất nổi tiếng.Yes, she is very famous.
- MaiTôi muốn gặp người phụ nữ này.I want to meet this woman.
- HùngHãy đi chào cô ấy đi.Let's go say hello to her.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “woman” translations and entries phụ nữ, đàn bà, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nữ, phụ, phụ nữ, đàn, đàn bà, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
