Tiếng Việt · Word Attested

lem

[lɛm˧˧]

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

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(adjective) smudged, soiled

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

bẩn hoặc dính bẩn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Where it’s used: Used Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora

Cô Bé Lọ LemCinderella (literally, “The Soot-smeared Girl”)

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 “lem” mean?

(adjective) smudged, soiled

Is “lem” formal or informal?

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