sài
[saːj˨˩]
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
(noun) firewood, brushwood
Register: informal
Sources & notes
Imported from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); community review pending. source ↗
Sense 2
Meaning · English
(noun) children's lasting and serious disease
Register: informal
Examples
Lấy chồng từ năm mười bảy tuổi, nhưng chồng cờ bạc, nợ nần nhiều bỏ đi Nam, đến đầu năm 1950 mới trở về quê. Ăn ở lại với nhau được đứa con trai lên hai thì chồng chết. Cách mấy tháng sau đứa con lên sài bỏ đi để chị ở một mình.She married at seventeen, yet her husband gambled, became heavily indebted, and fled to the South; he only returned to their hometown when 1950 began. They lived together and begat a son, who turned two years old when her husband died. A few months later, her son passed away from a childhood disease
Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sense 3
Meaning · English
(verb) to use; to spend
Register: informal
Where it’s used:
Used
Miền Nam · Southern Vietnam
• Wiktionary labels this sense “Southern”
Common questions
What does “sài” mean?
(noun) firewood, brushwood
Is “sài” formal or informal?
sài is generally informal.