mặc cả
[mak̚˧˨ʔ kaː˧˩]
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
To bargain, haggle — the Northern word; Southerners say trả giá.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Thương lượng bớt giá — từ miền Bắc; trong Nam nói trả giá.
Verb
Where it’s used:
Used
Miền Bắc · Northern Vietnam
Examples
Đi chợ phải biết mặc cả kẻo mua hớ.At the market you have to haggle or you’ll overpay.
Editorial example (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “mặc cả” mean?
To bargain, haggle — the Northern word; Southerners say trả giá.
Is “mặc cả” 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?
“trả giá” (Tiếng Việt) — same meaning · other region.