bé
[ʔɓɛ˧˦]
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
Small, little — standard nationwide; in the South you will often hear nhỏ instead.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Kích thước không lớn — từ chuẩn cả nước; trong Nam thường nói nhỏ.
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
• Standard everywhere; the South leans on nhỏ for "small".
Examples
Căn phòng bé thế mà kê được đủ thứ.Such a small room, yet it fits everything.
Editorial example (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sense 2
Meaning · English
Baby; little one — an endearment for a child or a partner.
Literally: Small.
How to use it
✓ Use it when
Doting address.
Register: informalConnotation: affectionate
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Sources & notes
Owner-contributed endearment collection (July 2026); curated editorially.
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “bé” mean?
Small, little — standard nationwide; in the South you will often hear nhỏ instead.
Is “bé” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
What is the closest equivalent?
“nhỏ” (Tiếng Việt) — same meaning · other region.