điên

[ʔɗiən˧˧]

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

Meaning · English

Crazy, mad — standard nationwide; in the South you will often hear khùng instead.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Mất trí, không bình thường — từ chuẩn cả nước; trong Nam thường nói khùng.

Where it’s used: Used Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora • Standard nationwide; Southern colloquial speech says khùng.

Examples

Cái thớt này hài điên.This thread is stupendously hilarious.
Làm việc điên cuồng kiểu đó có ngày đổ bệnh.Working like a madman that way, one day you’ll fall ill.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31)

Equivalents & related

Common questions

What does “điên” mean?

Crazy, mad — standard nationwide; in the South you will often hear khùng instead.

Is “điên” 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?

“khùng” (Tiếng Việt) — same meaning · other region.