ăn

Etymology

From Proto-Bahnaric *ʔan, from Proto-Bahnaric *ʔun ~ *ʔuun ~ *ʔuən ~ *ʔan ~ *ʔaan (“to give”). Cognate with Khmu [Cuang] ʔan and Proto-Katuic *ʔoon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔan/

Verb

ăn

1. to give

Etymology

From Proto-Vietic *ʔan.

Verb

ăn

1. to eat

Etymology

From Latin in. Compare Aromanian ãn, Romanian în.

Preposition

ăn

1. in

Etymology

From Proto-Vietic *ʔan.

Verb

ăn

1. to eat

Etymology

From Proto-Vietic *ʔan.

Verb

ăn

1. to eat

Pronunciation

• (Thạch An – Tràng Định) IPA^(key): [ʔan˧˥]
• (Trùng Khánh) IPA^(key): [ʔan˦]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Tai *ʔalᴬ (classifier for things). Cognate with Lao ອັນ (ʼan), Lü ᦀᧃ (˙ʼan), Shan ဢၼ် (ʼǎn), Ahom 𑜒𑜃𑜫 (ʼan), Zhuang aen, Thai อัน (an).

Etymology 2

References

• Lương Bèn (2011) Từ điển Tày-Việt‎ (in Vietnamese), Thái Nguyên: Nhà Xuất bản Đại học Thái Nguyên
• Lục Văn Pảo, Hoàng Tuấn Nam (2003) Hoàng Triều Ân, editor, Từ điển chữ Nôm Tày‎ (in Vietnamese), Hanoi: Nhà xuất bản Khoa học Xã hội
• Léopold Michel Cadière (1910) Dictionnaire Tày-Annamite-Français‎ (in French), Hanoi: Impressions d'Extrême-Orient

Etymology

From Proto-Vietic *ʔan.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔan˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔaŋ˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʔaŋ˧˧]

• Audio (Hà Nội):

  (file)

Verb

ăn • (𫗒, 咹, 安)

1. to eat

   ăn thịt ― to eat meat; to be carnivorous

   ăn bánh ― to eat cakes

   ăn uống đầy bụng ― to eat and drink one's fill

   ăn chay ― to go/be vegan

2. (rare) Synonym of uống (“to drink”)

   ăn/uống sữa ― to drink milk

   ăn sinh tố ― to drink a smoothie

3. to dine; to feast, to attend a feast, to celebrate, to commemorate

   Có người mời ăn.

   Someone has invited you (us, them) to come over for a meal.

   ăn tết ― to feast for the new year; to celebrate the new year

   ăn giỗ ― to celebrate a death anniversary

4. to eat with (a utensil)

   Người Âu Châu không quen ăn đũa.

   Europeans are unaccustomed to eating with chopsticks.

5. to smoke (tobacco); to chew (tobacco, paan)

   Ông cụ ăn thuốc bà cụ ăn trầu.

   The old man smoked while his wife chewed paan.

6. (literally and figuratively) to consume

   Xe này ăn tốn xăng.

   This car guzzles gas.

   Lò này ăn nhiều than.

   This oven consumes a lot of coal.

   Giấy ăn mực.

   The paper ate the ink. (The pen ran out of ink.)

   ăn da ― to consume skin; caustic

7. to pick up (a passenger, cargo)

   Ô-tô ăn khách.

   The car picked up a passenger.

   Tàu ăn hàng.

   Cargo was loaded onto the ship.

8. to endure (a punishment)

   ăn đòn ― to be spanked

   ăn đạn ― to be shot at

9. to enjoy, to benefit from, to earn, to win (money, a salary, roses, a prize)

   ăn thừa tự ― to accept an inheritance

   ăn lương ― to earn a salary

   ăn hoa hồng ― to enjoy roses

   ăn giải ― to win a prize

10. to empty into (a body of water)

    Sông ăn ra biển.

    The river empties into the sea.

11. to be subordinated to; to belong to (an administrative area)

    Ruộng này ăn về xã tôi.

    These woods lie within my commune.

12. to have an effect, to work

    Phanh này không ăn.

    The brakes don't work.

13. to be equivalent to, to be worth (a quantity denominated in a smaller unit)

    Một cân ta ăn 600 gam.

    One traditional cân is equivalent to 600 grams.

    Hôm nay một đô la Mỹ ăn mười ba nghìn đồng Việt Nam.

    Today, one U.S. dollar is worth 13,000 Vietnamese dong.

References

• "ăn" in Hồ Ngọc Đức, Free Vietnamese Dictionary Project (details)