bất kham

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 不堪, composed of 不 (“cannot”) and 堪 (“endure”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɓət̚˧˦ xaːm˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɓək̚˦˧˥ kʰaːm˧˧] ~ [ʔɓək̚˦˧˥ xaːm˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ʔɓək̚˦˥ kʰaːm˧˧] ~ [ʔɓək̚˦˥ xaːm˧˧]

• Audio (Hà Nội)

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Adjective

bất kham

1. (figurative) feisty, ornery, unruly
2. (rare) insufferable, intolerable, unbearable