chỉ

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕi˧˩]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕɪj˧˨]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [cɪj˨˩˦]

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• Audio (Saigon):

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From Proto-Vietic *cis (“thread”), from Proto-Mon-Khmer *ks(i)ʔ or *ksih (“string; cord; rope; thread”). Compare North Central Vietnamese chỉn, Muong chỉl.

• (North Central Vietnam) chỉn (in dialects with *-s > *-lʰ > -n^C)

(classifier sợi) chỉ • (帋, 黹, 紙, 䊼, 𥿗)

1. (sewing) thread
2. (sewing, obsolete) weft; woof antonym ▲

   Antonym: canh (“warp”)

Sino-Vietnamese word from 只. Displaced bui and chỉn.

chỉ

1. only

From Proto-Vietic *cih (“to point”); probably related to

Sino-Vietnamese word from 指 (“finger”).

chỉ • (扯, 扺, 指)

1. to point quotations ▼
   • 2005, Nguyễn Ngọc Tư, “Cánh đồng bất tận” (chapter 2), in Cánh đồng bất tận, NXB Trẻ:

     Chị hỏi "Tắm ở đâu, mấy cưng ?". Tôi chỉ xuống kinh.

     She asked, "Where can I bathe, sweethearts?" I pointed down the canal.

   synonym ▲

   Synonym: trỏ

Word formation with distal denotation by adding hỏi tone to the root chị in Southern Vietnamese and some topolects of Thanh Hoá.

chỉ

1. (Southern Vietnam) she; her

Borrowed from a neighbouring or trading language, probably Malay ci (“mace”) or Teochew 錢 / 钱 (tsîⁿ, “mace”), ultimately from Chinese 錢 / 钱. Cognate with English chee (“Chinese unit of weight”). Doublet of tiền.

chỉ

1. (chiefly gold or silver trading) a weight unit equal to 3.75 grams

chỉ

1. Sino-Vietnamese reading of 止

Sino-Vietnamese word from 紙 (“paper”).

chỉ

1. (colloquial) clipping of tín chỉ (“college credit”)

chỉ

1. Sino-Vietnamese reading of 址

chỉ

1. Sino-Vietnamese reading of 旨

chỉ

1. Sino-Vietnamese reading of 趾

Sino-Vietnamese word from 枳.

chỉ

1. trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata)

chỉ

1. Sino-Vietnamese reading of 芷