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cua
/kɨə˧˧/
crab
Tôi thích ăn bánh cua.
I like eating crab cakes.
general
A crustacean with a hard shell, eight legs, and two pincers, commonly found in water.
Cua bơi rất nhanh dưới nước.
Crabs swim very fast underwater.
Bà nội nấu canh cua ngon lắm.
Grandma cooks crab soup very deliciously.
In Vietnamese cuisine, 'cua' often refers to freshwater crabs (e.g., cua đồng) or marine crabs (e.g., cua bể).
Pro Tip
Distinguish from 'cửa' and 'cưa'
'Cua' (crab) has a diacritic 'u' with a hook (ư), while 'cửa' (door) has 'u' with a breve (ủ), and 'cưa' (saw) has 'ưa'.
Word Origin
From Proto-Vietic *k-roːʔ, related to Proto-Mon-Khmer *kraʔ (crab).
Usage Notes
In Northern Vietnam, 'cua' typically refers to marine crabs, while in the South, it often means freshwater crabs. Avoid confusion with 'cửa' (door) or 'cưa' (saw).
Từ Điển Việt Anh