Tiếng Việt · Word Attested

tự vệ

[tɨ˧˨ʔ ve˧˨ʔ]

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

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(verb) to use self-defense

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

tự bảo vệ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

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 ↗

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(noun) self-defense

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

bảo vệ tự mình

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(noun) a self-defense force; paramilitary; grassroots (reserve) militia

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

lực lượng tự vệ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

What does “tự vệ” mean?

(verb) to use self-defense

Is “tự vệ” formal or informal?

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