Tiếng Việt · Saying Attested

gì vậy

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

Also seen as: cái gì vậy

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Southern "what? / what's that?" — from genuine question to mild outrage ("cái gì vậy trời!") depending on volume.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

cái gì vậy

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Literally: what like-that

Where it’s used: More common Miền Nam · Southern Vietnam

Examples

Gì vậy? Sao tự nhiên tắt đèn hết vậy?What the—? Why did all the lights just go off?

Editorial example (batch 048)

Sources & notes

Editorial addition (2026-08-05 conversational-phrase pass): everyday spoken formula selected for the speak-first curriculum; definition and example original.

Topics: Everyday talk

Common questions

What does “gì vậy” mean?

Southern "what? / what's that?" — from genuine question to mild outrage ("cái gì vậy trời!") depending on volume. Literally: what like-that

Is “gì vậy” formal or informal?

gì vậy is generally informal.

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