khẩu trang

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 口 (“mouth”) and 裝 (“clothes”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [xəw˧˩ t͡ɕaːŋ˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [kʰəw˧˨ ʈaːŋ˧˧] ~ [xəw˧˨ ʈaːŋ˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [kʰəw˨˩˦ ʈaːŋ˧˧] ~ [xəw˨˩˦ ʈaːŋ˧˧]

Noun

(classifier cái) khẩu trang

1. a surgical mask; a procedure mask

   Synonym: băng khẩu (certain Northern dialects)

   Đang mùa dịch, ra đường phải đeo khẩu trang.

   The pandemic's still ongoing, wear a mask when you go out.

Usage notes

• Surgical "masks" are not typically thought of as the same as full-face "masks". For full-face masks, especially those that cover only the face (not the whole head) for entertainment, use mặt nạ instead.