quê

From que (“what”)

• IPA^(key): /ˈke/
• Rhymes: -e

quê

1. (sentence-final) what (which thing)

   Pensas no quê?

   What are you thinking about?

   Quê?

   What?

• não há de quê
• por quê
• porquê

quê m (plural quês)

1. a characteristic (distinguishable feature of a person or thing)

quê m (plural quês)

1. cue (name of the letter Q, q)

From Proto-Vietic *k-veːr ~ *k-weːl (“village”); cognate with Muong quêl (“village”) and Chut [Rục] /kəveːl¹/. Compare also Proto-Katuic *wiil ~ *weel (whence Pacoh veil).

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [kwe˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [kwej˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [wej˧˧]

quê (圭, 𬫀)

1. countryside; the country
2. a birthplace
3. a hometown

   Tết này có về quê hông?

   Will you go back to your hometown this New Year?

4. one's parent's birthplace

• When making an ID card, it is required to list your parent's (usually father's) hometown instead even if it's not the same as yours.

quê

1. Short for quê mùa (“typical of countrymen; rural, lame and tacky”).
2. (Southern Vietnam, by extension) very embarrassing; mortifying