Tiếng Việt · Word Attested

sống

[səwŋ͡m˧˦]

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

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(noun) spine

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

cột sống

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

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

Examples

thấy lạnh sống lưngto feel the chills down one's spine

sống núi ngầmunderwater mountain ridge

Thịt này còn sống, nấu thêm đi.This meat is still raw; cook it longer.

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 ↗ Local usage: Also means alive; here it refers to food that is uncooked. [contributed-collins-enriched]

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(verb) to live

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

sinh tồn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Examples

sự sốnglife

Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(adjective) living

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

đang sống

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Examples

người sốngthe living

Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(adjective) alive

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

còn sống

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Examples

Hắn còn sống.He's still alive.

Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Common questions

What does “sống” mean?

(noun) spine

Is “sống” formal or informal?

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