tâm sự
[təm˧˧ sɨ˧˨ʔ]
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
(noun) inner thoughts and feelings
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Sources & notes
Imported from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); community review pending. source ↗
Sense 2
Meaning · English
(verb) to bare one's soul
Examples
Có gì thì cứ tâm sự với mẹ chứ đừng có giấu.Tell me if something's bothering you, don't keep it in.
Trần Lực tâm sự, anh đến với điện ảnh hoàn toàn là duyên nghiệp: “Năm ấy, tôi đi học về sân khấu ở Liên Xô mới về nước. Tôi đến đoàn làm phim cùng bạn bè, nhưng ở đó, người ta thấy tôi trắng trẻo quá, thư sinh quá, cứ mời đi đóng phim. Rồi sau đó, những lời mời cứ đến liên tục…”.Trần Lực recounted how completely accidental his film career was, “Back then, I’d just come back from theater school in the Soviet Union. I went to a film set with my friends, but the folks there told me I was pale and slender and kept asking me to act. And then offers just kept coming…”
Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “tâm sự” mean?
(noun) inner thoughts and feelings
Is “tâm sự” 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?
“bare one's soul” (English) — near equivalent.