đèn cầy
[ʔɗɛn˨˩ kəj˨˩]
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A candle — the Southern word; Northerners say nến.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Cây sáp thắp sáng — từ miền Nam; ngoài Bắc nói nến.
Noun
Where it’s used:
Used
Miền Nam · Southern Vietnam
Examples
Cúp điện, má đốt đèn cầy cho tụi nhỏ học bài.Power’s out — Mom lit candles so the kids could study.
Editorial example (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “đèn cầy” mean?
A candle — the Southern word; Northerners say nến.
Is “đèn cầy” 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?
“nến” (Tiếng Việt) — same meaning · other region.