câm

Vietnamese

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) For the sense of "orthographically silent", a semantic loan from French muet.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [kəm˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [kəm˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [kəm˧˧]

Adjective

câm

1. mute (not having the power of speech)
2. (orthography, phonetics) silent; mute

   Mặc dù trong tiếng Pháp ta có từ "h aspiré", chữ "h" của tiếng Pháp luôn luôn câm.

   Even though there's this thing called the "aspirated h" in French, the French letter "h" is always silent.

3. (film, theater) silent

   kịch câm

   a silent play

Verb

câm

1. to shut up; to keep one's mouth shut

   câm như hến

   to shut your mouth as tight as a clam [shutting its shell]

   Có câm mồm không thì bảo?

   Would you keep your trap shut!?