Tiếng Việt · Word Attested

bấp bênh

[ʔɓəp̚˧˦ ʔɓəjŋ̟˧˧]

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(adjective) unstable; unsteady; imbalance

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

không ổn định, mất thăng bằng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora

Sources & notes

Imported from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); community review pending. source ↗

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(adjective) precarious; uncertain

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

không chắc chắn, nguy hiểm

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(adjective) pliable; wavering; indecisive

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

dễ uốn, dao động, không quyết đoán

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

What does “bấp bênh” mean?

(adjective) unstable; unsteady; imbalance

Is “bấp bênh” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.