sắc
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
(adjective) sharp (able to cut easily)
Register: formal
Where it’s used:
Used
Miền Bắc · Northern Vietnam
• Wiktionary labels this sense “Northern”
Examples
thanh sắcthe phonemic tone as in the word sắc; either of the phonetic tones as in the words sắc (a checked tone) and sắn
sắc sảosharp(-minded)
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 ↗
Sense 2
Meaning · English
(noun) a variant of a color; a shade, a tone, a tint, etc.
Register: formal
Examples
sắc mặta complexion
thất sắc(of the face) to become pale
Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sense 3
Meaning · English
(noun) color
Register: formal
Examples
bảy sắc cầu vồngthe seven colors of the rainbow
Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sense 4
Meaning · English
(noun) rūpa (material, physical)
Register: formal
Common questions
What does “sắc” mean?
(adjective) sharp (able to cut easily)
Is “sắc” formal or informal?
sắc is generally formal.