Tiếng Việt · Word Attested

kém

[kɛm˧˦]

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

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(adjective) less; lesser

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

ít hơn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

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 ↗

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(adjective) bad (at doing something)

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

kém cỏi

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

kém may mắnunlucky

Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(preposition) preceding

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

ba giờ kém mườiten to three o'clock-2:50

Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)

What does “kém” mean?

(adjective) less; lesser

Is “kém” formal or informal?

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