sâu

See also: sau, Sau, SAU, sáu, său, s-au, and sau-

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [səw˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʂəw˧˧] ~ [səw˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʂəw˧˧] ~ [səw˧˧]

• Audio (Hà Nội):

  (file)

• Audio (Saigon):

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Proto-Vietic *c-ruː (“deep”), from Proto-Mon-Khmer *ɟruuʔ ~ *ɟruh ~ *rɟuh (“deep”). Cognate with Muong Bi khu, Khmer ជ្រៅ (crɨw), Bahnar jrŭ, Pacoh tru, Khmu [Cuang] ɟruʔ.

Alternative forms

• (North Central Vietnam) su (no diphthongization)

Adjective

sâu • (娄, 溇, 漊)

1. deep (having its bottom far down)

   Antonym: nông

Derived terms

• chuyên sâu
• sâu cay
• sâu đậm
• sâu hoắm
• sâu kín
• sâu lắng
• sâu nặng
• sâu rộng
• sâu sắc
• sâu thẳm
• sâu xa

 

Adverb

sâu • (娄, 溇, 漊)

1. deeply

Etymology 2

Regarding the adjectival sense, compare Japanese 虫歯 (mushiba, literally “bug tooth”).

Alternative forms

• (North Central Vietnam) trâu

Noun

(classifier con) sâu • (蝼, 󱟗, 螻)

1. a caterpillar (larva of a butterfly)

Adjective

sâu • (蝼, 󱟗, 螻)

1. (of a tooth) with a cavity

   răng sâu ― a tooth with a cavity

   sâu răng ― (of a person) with cavities

Derived terms

• sâu bệnh
• sâu bọ
• sâu đo
• sâu mọt
• sâu róm
• tóc sâu

 

See also

• tằm (“silkworm”)