điển

[ʔɗiən˧˩]

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

Sense 1

Meaning · English

(noun) fable

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) story

Examples

Ngẫm mà xem! Thơ phú đời sau dùng điển Thúy-Kiều, Nhị-Độ-Mai, hay là điển trong các sách hay khác sắp làm ra, kém chi sâu-sắc bằng điển lấy trong Tứ-thơ, Ngũ-kinh.Just think! Poems in the future will reference the stories of Thuý-Kiều, Nhị-Độ-Mai, or some other great works from the near future, and they will not be inferior to the references to the fables from the Four Books and the Five Classics.

Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Common questions

What does “điển” mean?

(noun) fable

Is “điển” formal or informal?

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