châu

See also: chau, cháu, chầu, and Châu

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕəw˧˧]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕəw˧˧]
(Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [cəw˧˧]

Etymology 1

Sino-Vietnamese word from 洲.

Noun

châu

continent

Usage notes

This term only occurs in Sino-Vietnamese compound words. In the compound words referring to the continents, modern Vietnamese has reversed the order of the component words, such that châu is treated as a noun modified by a proper adjective. However, châu is never considered a noun in its own right; lục địa and đại lục are used for that purpose instead.

Synonyms

(continent): lục địa, đại lục

Derived terms

Á châu
Âu châu
châu Á
châu Âu
châu Mỹ
châu Phi
Mỹ châu
Phi châu

Etymology 2

Sino-Vietnamese word from 珠.

Noun

châu

precious stone, gem, jewel, pearl

Verb

châu

to huddle together

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