bàng quan

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 旁觀 (“to be an onlooker”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɓaːŋ˨˩ kwaːn˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɓaːŋ˦˩ kwaːŋ˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʔɓaːŋ˨˩ waːŋ˧˧]
• Homophone: bàng quang

Adjective

bàng quan

1. (formal) indifferent to something that is not to be taken lightly, such as a serious social problem, someone else's accident, etc.; apathetic

   Synonym: thờ ơ

Usage notes

• Not to be confused with bàng quang (“bladder”).