tấm

[təm˧˦]

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

Sense 1

Meaning · English

(noun) broken or fractured rice grains

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

hạt gạo bị vỡ hoặc nứt

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Register: formal

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

Examples

truyện Tấm CámThe Story of Tam and Cam (Broken-Rice and Rice-Bran) (ancient Vietnamese tale)

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

(classifier) Used for large flat things, such as pieces of cloth (vải), planks (ván), boards (gỗ), pictures (ảnh, hình), mirrors (gương), etc.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

dùng để chỉ những thứ phẳng lớn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Register: formal

Sense 3

Meaning · English

(classifier) Used for small or seemingly insignificant things that are deemed valuable or worth cherishing.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

dùng để chỉ những thứ nhỏ quý giá

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Register: formal

Examples

tấm thânbody
tấm lòng vàngheart of gold

Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Common questions

What does “tấm” mean?

(noun) broken or fractured rice grains

Is “tấm” formal or informal?

tấm is generally formal.