cái gì

[kaːj˧˦ zi˨˩]

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

Sense 1

Meaning · English

(pronoun) something

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

một thứ gì đó

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

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

Examples

ai, cái gì, con gìthe who, the what thing, the what animal

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

(interjection) what?

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

cái gì

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sense 3

Meaning · English

(interjection) what the heck!

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

thế nào vậy

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sense 4

Meaning · English

(particle) Used to express that a word should not have been said.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Để biểu thị một từ không nên được nói

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Examples

Anh cái gì mà anh.
Anh anh cái gì?

Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Common questions

What does “cái gì” mean?

(pronoun) something

Is “cái gì” formal or informal?

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