nến
[nen˧˦]
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A candle — standard nationwide; in the South you will often hear đèn cầy instead.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Cây sáp thắp sáng — từ chuẩn cả nước; trong Nam thường nói đèn cầy.
Noun
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
• Standard nationwide; the Southern word is đèn cầy.
Examples
Ba là cây nến vàng,
Mẹ là cây nến xanh,
Con là cây nến hồng.
Ba ngọn nến lung linh
A à á a à
Thắp sáng một gia đình.Daddy's the yellow candle,
Mummy's the grue candle,
Baby's the pink candle.
We, three sparkling candles
Ah ah ah ah ah
Shine bright a family.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31)
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “nến” mean?
A candle — standard nationwide; in the South you will often hear đèn cầy instead.
Is “nến” 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?
“đèn cầy” (Tiếng Việt) — same meaning · other region.