hôm qua

Vietnamese

Etymology

hôm (“day”) +‎ qua (“past”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [hom˧˧ kwaː˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [hom˧˧ kwaː˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [hom˧˧ waː˧˧]
• (quick, colloquial speech) IPA^(key): [(m̩˧).kwaː˧˧ ~ (m̩˧).waː˧˧]

Noun

hôm qua

1. yesterday
   • (Can we date this quote?), “Đi học [Going to School]”, Hoàng Minh Chính (lyrics), Bùi Đình Thảo (music):

     Hôm qua em tới trường,
     Mẹ dắt tay từng bước ớ ơ.
     Hôm nay mẹ lên nương,
     Một mình em đến lớp.

     Yesterday, as I was on my way to school
     Mom was holding my hand the whole time.
     Today, Mom goes to work on the terrace,
     I go to school on my own.

Usage notes

• In fast and informal speech, hôm is often reduced to a barely audible syllabic nasal or completely ellipsed, so that only qua can be heard. Similar phenomenon can also be seen with hôm nay (“today”).