Tiếng Việt · Word Attested

bóng

[ʔɓawŋ͡m˧˦] 🎙 Say it

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

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A ball (as in soccer) — the Northern word; Southerners say banh.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Trái bóng để chơi thể thao — từ miền Bắc; trong Nam nói banh.

Where it’s used: Used Miền Bắc · Northern Vietnam

Examples

dưới bóng câyin the shade of the tree

Bọn trẻ đá bóng ngoài bãi đến tối mịt.The kids played soccer on the field until well after dark.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31)

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(noun, offensive slang) a gay man — dated street slang; hurtful outside reclaimed in-group use. Documented because learners will hear it; prefer "người đồng tính".

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

người đồng tính nam

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

⚠ Register: offensive

Sources & notes

Sense documented on en.wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0), definition adapted; retrieved 2026-08-05. Documentation is not endorsement.

Equivalents & related

Same meaning · other region banh A ball (as in soccer) — the Southern word; Northerners say bóng. Tiếng Việt

Common questions

What does “bóng” mean?

A ball (as in soccer) — the Northern word; Southerners say banh.

Is “bóng” 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?

“banh” (Tiếng Việt) — same meaning · other region.

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