Tiếng Việt · Word Attested

chữ Nôm

[t͡ɕɨ˦ˀ˥ nom˧˧]

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

Sense 1

Meaning · English

(noun) a historical writing system derived from Chinese characters that was once used to write Vietnamese

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) certain writing system(s) derived from Chinese characters historically used by certain groups of speakers of Tai languages in Vietnam to write their language(s), now usually grouped together as chữ Nôm Tày ("the Nôm script of the Tày people")

Examples

Chữ Nôm của dân tộc Tày tỉnh Bắc Kạn vừa được công nhận là Di sản văn hóa phi vật thể cấp quốc gia.The Nôm script of the Tày people of Bắc Kạn Province has just been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Common questions

What does “chữ Nôm” mean?

(noun) a historical writing system derived from Chinese characters that was once used to write Vietnamese

Is “chữ Nôm” formal or informal?

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