chỉ

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕi˧˩]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕɪj˧˨]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [cɪj˨˩˦]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 只.

chỉ

1. only

From Proto-Vietic *cih (“to point”); probably related to Sino-Vietnamese word from 指 (“finger”).

chỉ (扯, 扺, 指)

1. to point

   chỉ tay năm ngón

   to "point with all five"; to conceitedly point

   • 2005, Nguyễn Ngọc Tư, "Cánh đồng bất tận" chapter 2 (in Cánh đồng bất tận), Trẻ publishing house

     Chị hỏi "Tắm ở đâu, mấy cưng ?". Tôi chỉ xuống kinh.

     She asked, "Where can I bathe, sweethearts?" I pointed down the canal.

• trỏ

From Proto-Vietic *cis (“thread”), from Proto-Mon-Khmer *ks(i)ʔ or *ksih (“string; cord; rope; thread”). Compare North Central Vietnamese chỉn, Muong chỉl.

(classifier sợi) chỉ (帋, 黹, 紙, 䊼, 𥿗)

1. (sewing) thread

Contraction of chị + the demonstrative ấy (“that”) in the southern dialects, with the latter manifested as the hỏi tone after monosyllabification.

chỉ

1. (Southern Vietnam) she; her

Sino-Vietnamese word from 枳.

chỉ

1. trifoliate orange

chỉ

1. a weight unit equal to 3.75 grams