cậu
[kəw˧˨ʔ]
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
(noun) a maternal uncle (mother's brother)
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 ↗
Sense 2
Meaning · English
(noun) a young male master
Sense 3
Meaning · English
(noun) a younger male stranger
Sense 4
Meaning · English
(pronoun) I/me, your mother's brother
Common questions
What does “cậu” mean?
(noun) a maternal uncle (mother's brother)
Is “cậu” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.