kiêng dè
[kiəŋ˧˧ zɛ˨˩]
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
(verb) to restrain oneself
Verb
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Examples
Dương Thiết Tâm lúc đầu còn có chút kiêng dè, không dám giết chết quan quân, đến lúc ấy thì bất chấp tất cả, đâm đông đập tây, trong khoảnh khắc giết chết vài người.At the beginning, Yáng Tiěxīn had still showed some restraint, not daring to kill the government soldiers; then he started disregarding all, lashed out every which way, and in a short moment killed several of them.
Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sources & notes
Imported from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); community review pending. source ↗
Common questions
What does “kiêng dè” mean?
(verb) to restrain oneself
Is “kiêng dè” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.