trái tim

Vietnamese

Etymology

trái (classifier) +‎ tim (“heart”).

The form lái tim is also attested, for example, in Địa cầu vạn vật luận (1920), and in the name nhà thờ Lái Tim (the Church of [Jesus'] Heart) in Nam Định province, now usually called nhà thờ Trái Tim.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕaːj˧˦ tim˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʈaːj˨˩˦ tim˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʈaːj˦˥ tim˧˧]

Noun

trái tim

1. (literary) heart (as seat of emotions)