ngay

See also: ngáy, ngày, ŋay, ngậy, and ngấy

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Ilocano ngay.

Particle

ngay (Philippines, chiefly Baguio)

1. Used to question the listener
   1. for a response or affirmation

      You ngay?

      What about you?

   2. that implies impatience.

      Where are you ngay?

      Where are you? [I have been waiting for so long!]

   3. that implies dismay or disgust.

      What ngay is that?

      What the heck is that?

2. Used to agree with what the listener has said.

   Yes ngay.

   Yes, [I agree with you].

3. Used for emphasis

   I couldn't do anything ngay.

   I wasn't really able to do anything.

4. Used to solicit pity from the listener

   I couldn't do anything ngay.

   [I'm sorry], I wasn't able to do anything.

Gamilaraay

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ŋaj/

Pronoun

ngay

1. my (to me)

References

• Dhiirrala Gamilaraay Yuwaalaraay Language Program St Joseph School Po Box 125 Walgett NSW 2368 Australia
• (2003) Gamilaraay Yuwaalaraay Yuwaalayaay Dictionary
• (2015). “Ma Gamilaraay”

Ilocano

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈŋaj/ [ˈŋaɪ̯]
• Hyphenation: ngay

Particle

ngay (Kur-itan spelling ᜅᜌ᜔)

1. Used to question the listener
   1. for a response or affirmation

      Sika ngay?

      What about you?

   2. that implies impatience.

      Ayanmon ngay?

      Where are you? [I have been waiting for so long!]

   3. that implies dismay or disgust.

      Ania ngay dayta?

      What the heck is that?

2. Used to agree with what the listener has said.

   Wen ngay.

   Yes, [I agree with you].

3. Used for emphasis

   Awan ngay maaramidak.

   I wasn't really able to do anything.

4. Used to solicit pity from the listener

   Awan ngay maaramidak.

   [I'm sorry], I wasn't able to do anything.

References

• Rubino, Carl Ralph Galvez (2000), “ngay”, in Byron W. Bender, editor, Ilocano Dictionary and Grammar: Ilocano-English, English-Ilocano‎^[1] (overall work in English and Ilocano), Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, page 386

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from Ilocano ngay.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈŋaj/ [ˈŋaɪ̯]
• Rhymes: -aj
• Syllabification: ngay

Particle

ngay (Baybayin spelling ᜅᜌ᜔) (Baguio)

1. Used to question the listener
   1. for a response or affirmation

      Synonym: ba

      Ikaw ngay?

      What about you?

   2. that implies impatience.

      Nasan ka na ngay?

      Where are you? [I have been waiting for so long!]

   3. that implies dismay or disgust.

      Ano ngay yan?

      What the heck is that?

2. Used to agree with what the listener has said.

   Synonym: nga eh

   Oo ngay.

   Yes, [I agree with you].

3. Used for emphasis

   Synonym: nga

   Wala ngay akong magagawa.

   I wasn't really able to do anything.

4. Used to solicit pity from the listener

   Wala ngay akong magagawa.

   [I'm sorry], I wasn't able to do anything.

Vietnamese

Etymology

From Proto-Vietic *t-ŋar (“straight”). Cognate with Muong Bi ngăl, Chut [Rục] təŋal¹.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ŋaj˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ŋaj˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ŋa(ː)j˧˧]

• Audio (Hà Nội):

  (file)

Adjective

ngay • (宜, 𣦍, 𬆄)

1. (now chiefly in compounds and certain expressions) direct; straight

   cây ngay ― a straight tree

   Ngồi ngay lên nào!

   Come on, sit up straight!

2. (literary) honest
3. as soon as, straight away

   ngay khi ― as soon as

Preposition

ngay • (宜, 𣦍, 𬆄)

1. short for ngay cạnh (“right by, right beside”)

   Nhà nó ở ngay cầu lớn.

   His house is right beside the big bridge.

Derived terms

• cây ngay không sợ chết đứng
• ngay cả
• ngay cạnh
• ngay chóc
• ngay lập tức
• ngay ngắn (từ láy)
• ngay thẳng
• ngay thật
• ngay và luôn