ải

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ai"

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 隘.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔaːj˧˩]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔaːj˧˨]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʔaːj˨˩˦]

Noun

ải

1. frontier pass; border checkpoint

   ải Nam Quan ― the Nam Quan pass

2. a big challenge that is hard to pass

   khổ ải ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Derived terms

• ải quan
• cửa ải
• khổ ải

Adjective

ải

1. (botany, of plants' organic matter) crumbling easily and no longer sturdy, having succumbed to years of exposure to rain and sun
2. (agriculture, of farmland after being plowed and exposed to the sun) dry and crumbling easily

Verb

ải

1. Short for làm ải.