sâu

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [səw˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʂəw˧˧] ~ [səw˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ʂəw˧˧] ~ [səw˧˧]

• Audio (Hà Nội)

  (file)

• Audio (Hồ Chí Minh City)

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

• (North Central Vietnam) su

sâu • (娄, 溇, 漊)

1. deep (having its bottom far down)

   Antonym: nông

sâu • (娄, 溇, 漊)

1. deeply

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

• (North Central Vietnam) trâu

(classifier con) sâu • (蝼, 󱟗, 螻)

1. a caterpillar (larva of a butterfly)

sâu • (蝼, 󱟗, 螻)

1. (of a tooth) with a cavity

   răng sâu ― a tooth with a cavity

   sâu răng ― (of a person) with cavities

• tằm (“silkworm”)