cô bé

Vietnamese

Etymology

cô +‎ bé.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ko˧˧ ʔɓɛ˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [kow˧˧ ʔɓɛ˨˩˦]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [kow˧˧ ʔɓɛ˦˥]

Noun

cô bé

1. (formal) a little miss, young lady

   Synonym: con bé

   Cô bé năm nay mấy tuổi rồi?

   How old is your little daughter?

2. (by extension) a younger girl

Usage notes

• Especially common in translations of Western literature.