khăn tay

Vietnamese

Etymology

khăn +‎ tay.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [xan˧˧ taj˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [kʰaŋ˧˧ taj˧˧] ~ [xaŋ˧˧ taj˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [kʰaŋ˧˧ ta(ː)j˧˧] ~ [xaŋ˧˧ ta(ː)j˧˧]

Noun

(classifier cái) khăn tay

1. handkerchief

   Synonyms: khăn mùi soa, mùi soa, mu-xoa

   • Văn Tấn (lyrics and music), “Chiếc Khăn Tay (The Handkerchief)”; 1995 performance by Yến Trang

     Chiếc khăn tay mẹ may cho em; trên cành hoa mẹ thêu con chim.
     Em sướng vui có chiếc khăn xinh đẹp, lau bàn tay em giữ sạch hằng ngày.

     A handkerchief Mom has sewn for me; on a flowering branch, Mom has sewn a bird.
     I'm glad to have a beautiful kerchief, to wipe the hands I keep clean every day.

Further reading

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