bắc
[ʔɓak̚˧˦]
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
(adjective) north; northern
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Examples
phía bắcnorthern direction
hướng bắcnorthern direction
Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sources & notes
Imported from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); community review pending. source ↗
Sense 2
Meaning · English
(verb) to place things so that one can climb them to reach a higher spot
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
đặt những thứ để có thể leo lên để đạt đến một điểm cao hơn
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Examples
bắc thangto place a ladder so one can climb it
Bắc thang lên mà hỏi ông trời!How should I know!?
Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sense 3
Meaning · English
(verb) to place a pot or pan onto a stove, or to take it off it
Examples
bắc nồi xuốngto take the pot off the stove
Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Common questions
What does “bắc” mean?
(adjective) north; northern
Is “bắc” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.