trái

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From Proto-Vietic *k-laːjʔ, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *klaj(ʔ) ~ *klaaj(ʔ) (“to change”), cognate with Muong tlải, Tho klaːj³, Khmer ក្លាយ (klaay, “to change”), Mon ကၠဲာ (klai, “to translate”). Compare also Thai กลาย (glaai), Lao ກາຍ (kāi).

trái • (賴, 債)

1. (often with bên) left (side, direction)

   bên trái ― on the left

   Rẽ/Quẹo (tay) trái.

   Turn left.

2. reverse (side)

   mặt trái của tấm vải ― the reverse of a piece of cloth

3. (rare) morally wrong, unreasonable, illogical

   phân rõ phải trái, đúng sai ― to distinguish between right and wrong

• (left): tả (only in certain contexts); chiêu
• (reverse): sau
• (morally wrong, unreasonable): trái lẽ, trái lý, trái lí

• (antonym(s) of “left”): phải; đăm
• (antonym(s) of “reverse”): phải, trước, chính

trái • (賴)

1. inside out

   Lộn trái quần áo để phơi.

   Turn the clothes inside out and hang them out to dry.

• ngược

trái (賴)

1. contrary to, despite

   nắng trái tiết ― unseasonably sunny (literally, “sunny despite the climate”)

   trái nghĩa ― antonymous

   trái với quan niệm thông thường ― contrary to popular belief

• đối lập

From Proto-Vietic *p-leːʔ, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *pləjʔ (“fruit”). Cognate with Muong Bi tlải, Khmer ផ្លែ (phlae), Bahnar plei, Pacoh culay, Mang pløː¹.

This is originally the Southern form. The North Central form trấy is still extensively used in these dialects. The Northern forms giái (inland dialects), lái (as in lái tim, coastal dialects) are also attested, but now are mostly displaced by Sino-Vietnamese quả when used as a stand-alone noun and by Southern trái when used as part of compounds (as in Trái Đất (“the Earth”)).

• (Northern Vietnam, inland dialects, probably obsolete) giái
• (Northern Vietnam, coastal dialects, probably obsolete) lái
• (North Central Vietnam) trấy

trái • (𢁑, 𣛤, 𣡙, 𣡚, 𧀞)

1. (chiefly South Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) a piece of fruit

   ăn trái (cây) ― to eat fruit

2. (informal) land mine

   gài trái ― to place land mines

• (fruit): trái cây, quả
• (land mine): mìn

trái (𢁑, 𣛤, 𣡙, 𣡚, 𧀞)

1. (South Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) Refers to anything round, such as a piece of fruit.

   trái chôm chôm ― rambutan

   trái lựu đạn ― grenade

   trái núi ― mountain

   trái banh ― football

   trái cây ― a piece of fruit

• (anything round): quả

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

trái • (瘵)

1. smallpox

   lên trái ― to come down with smallpox

• (smallpox): đậu mùa

Sino-Vietnamese reading of various Chinese characters.

trái

1. Sino-Vietnamese reading of 債
2. Sino-Vietnamese reading of 責

• "trái" in Hồ Ngọc Đức, Free Vietnamese Dictionary Project (details)
• Lê Sơn Thanh, "Nom-Viet.dat", WinVNKey (details)
• Nôm Lookup Tool, Vietnamese Nôm Preservation Foundation