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con
/kɔːn/
child
Con tôi đang chơi ngoài sân.
My child is playing in the yard.
neutral
A young human being; a child or offspring.
Con tôi học lớp 1.
My child is in first grade.
Bà ấy có hai con trai.
She has two sons.
Used for humans and animals. For plants or objects, 'cây' or 'cái' is often added (e.g., 'cây con' = seedling).
neutral
A young animal; a baby animal.
Con chó của tôi vừa sinh năm con.
My dog just gave birth to five puppies.
Commonly paired with animal names (e.g., 'con mèo' = kitten, 'con chim' = baby bird).
Pro Tip
Distinguish 'con' vs. 'cái'
'Con' is for living beings (humans/animals), while 'cái' is for objects. E.g., 'con mèo' (kitten) vs. 'cái bàn' (table).
Gold Rule
Plurality in Vietnamese
Vietnamese often omits plural markers. 'Con' can mean 'child' or 'children' depending on context. E.g., 'Tôi có hai con' = 'I have two children.'
Word Origin
From Proto-Vietic *kɔːn, related to Proto-Mon-Khmer *kɔːn (offspring, child). Cognate with Muong *kôn.
Usage Notes
1. 'Con' is used for both humans and animals, but context clarifies. 2. For objects, 'cái' is often added (e.g., 'cái bàn' = table). 3. In Southern Vietnamese, 'con' is also used for small objects (e.g., 'con dao' = small knife).
Word Breakdown
con
young being/offspring
rootTừ Điển Việt Anh