ngoại

Sino-Vietnamese word from 外 (“outside”). Doublet of ngoài. Compare Chinese 外 (wài, “outside; maternal”), Korean 외(外) (oe, “outside; maternal”). A woman once married is considered belonging to a different family, hence the "inside" father's side and "outside" mother's side. See also xuất giá (“to get married”, literally “to "get out" and get married”).

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ŋwaːj˧˨ʔ]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ŋwaːj˨˩ʔ]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ŋwaːj˨˩˨]

ngoại

1. (rare) Synonym of ngoài (“except for”)

ngoại

1. (usually in compounds) foreign

   hàng ngoại

   foreign goods; imported goods; goods bought abroad

2. related to the mother's side of the family

   bên ngoại ― (people on) one's mother's side of the family

   bà ngoại ― a maternal grandmother

   quê ngoại ― mother's birthplace

ngoại

1. (usually in compounds) everything foreign

   sính ngoại ― to love everything foreign, such as foreign goods or foreign language words, especially in an ignorant or tacky way

2. (Southern Vietnam, used as a kinship "pronoun") maternal grandparent

   Ngoại ơi! Con đến rồi nè! ― Grandpa/Grandma! I'm here!

   Ngoại ơi! Con chích rồi nhé! ― Grandpa/Grandma! I got my (Covid-19) vaccine!

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