đứa

Vietnamese

Etymology

From Proto-Vietic *taːʔ (“man, male”); cognate with Muong tửa (“man, male; inferior one”). Possibly related to other MK roots with the meaning "grandfather, elderly man", compare Khmer តា (taa), Khmu taʔ ("grandfather"), Bolyu ta³¹ ("grandfather"), Temiar taak (“sir, grandfather”).

Pronunciation

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

Classifier

đứa • (𠁂, 𡥥)

1. indicates young person, child, or an inferior person
   • 2005, Nguyễn Ngọc Tư, "Nhà cổ" (in Cánh đồng bất tận), Trẻ publishing house

     Hai đứa tôi ngồi đâu đó (chỗ mà ai cũng nhìn thấy) nói chuyện chơi, có lúc, chẳng cần nói gì.

     The two of us were sitting somewhere (a place where everyone could see us) chatting, sometimes not needing to say anything.

Usage notes

• While never used to refer to a person that one thinks is his/her superior, đứa is not very offensive and can easily used by one to refer to himself/herself or adress his/her peers:

  Hay bốn đứa mình đâu ăn đi?

  Why don't us 4 go eat somewhere?