ăn

From Proto-Bahnaric *ʔan.

• IPA^(key): /ʔan/

ăn

1. to give

From Proto-Vietic *ʔan.

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔan˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔaŋ˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ʔaŋ˧˧]

ăn (𫗒, 咹)

1. to eat

   ăn thịt

   to eat meat; to be carnivorous

   ăn bánh

   to eat cakes

   ăn uống đầy bụng

   to eat and drink one's fill

   ăn chay

   to go vegan

2. (rare) Synonym of uống (“to drink”)

   ăn/uống sữa

   to drink milk

   ăn sinh tố

   to drink a smoothie

3. to dine; to feast, to attend a feast, to celebrate, to commemorate

   Có người mời ăn.

   Someone has invited you (us, them) to come over for a meal.

   ăn tết

   to feast for the new year; to celebrate the new year

   ăn giỗ

   to celebrate a death anniversary

4. to eat with (a utensil)

   Người Âu Châu không quen ăn đũa.

   Europeans are unaccustomed to eating with chopsticks.

5. to smoke (tobacco); to chew (tobacco, paan)

   Ông cụ ăn thuốc bà cụ ăn trầu.

   The old man smoked while his wife chewed paan.

6. (literally and figuratively) to consume

   Xe này ăn tốn xăng.

   This car guzzles gas.

   Lò này ăn nhiều than.

   This oven consumes a lot of coal.

   Giấy ăn mực.

   The paper ate the ink. (The pen ran out of ink.)

   ăn da

   to consume skin; caustic

7. to pick up (a passenger, cargo)

   Ô-tô ăn khách.

   The car picked up a passenger.

   Tàu ăn hàng.

   Cargo was loaded onto the ship.

8. to endure (a punishment)

   ăn đòn

   to be spanked

   ăn đạn

   to be shot at

9. to enjoy, to benefit from, to earn, to win (money, a salary, roses, a prize)

   ăn thừa tự

   to accept an inheritance

   ăn lương

   to earn a salary

   ăn giải

   to win a prize

   ăn hoa hồng

   to enjoy roses

   ăn giải

   to win a prize

10. to empty into (a body of water)

    Sông ăn ra biển.

    The river empties into the sea.

11. to be subordinated to; to belong to (an administrative area)

    Ruộng này ăn về xã tôi.

    These woods lie within my commune.

12. to have an effect, to work

    Phanh này không ăn.

    The brakes don't work.

13. to be equivalent to, to be worth (a quantity denominated in a smaller unit)

    Một cân ta ăn 600 gam.

    One traditional cân is equivalent to 600 grams.

    Hôm nay một đô la Mỹ ăn mười ba nghìn đồng Việt Nam.

    Today, one U.S. dollar is worth 13,000 Vietnamese dong.

• "ăn" in Hồ Ngọc Đức, Free Vietnamese Dictionary Project (details)