Hmong Word-a-Day
1 December 2004
Kaws: to gnaw on, chew
Pronunciation: guh (low tone)
Synonym: cua - to bite hard on something; zom - to chew or grind (food)
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Nws tus dev kaws pob txha nqaij.
(His dog was gnawing on the bone/drumstick.)
- Me nyuam kaws mis. 1
(The child is breastfeeding.)
- Lawv kaws peb taub hau. 2
(They are exploiting us.)
- Dev yeem kaws txha, npua yeem lib av. 3
(Dogs always gnaw on bones, pigs always roll around in the dirt.)
- Pov tsis muaj tom lis. Nws kaws pob txha nqaij zoo nkaus li ib tug aub.
(Pao doesn't have any manners. He gnaws on his drumstick like a dog.)
Ua tsaug ntau ntau rau:
1. TP Nyiaj Pov
2. TP Nyiaj Pov
3. Piv Txoj Lus
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Hmong Word-a-Day
2 December 2004
Koob tsheej: celebration, festival, event
Pronunciation: gong (high tone) chang (high falling tone)
Classifier: lub
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Hnub no yog Koob Hawj hnub yug. Koj tuaj txog peb lub tsev ces peb ua koob tsheej nawb.
(Today is Kong Her's birthday. Come to our house and we will celebrate.)
- Txhua xyoo thaum lub tsib hlis ntuj hnub tim plaub, peb tsev neeg ua koob tsheej nco txog hnub peb tuaj poob rau Ameslivkas teb no.
(Every year on the 4th of May, our family celebrates the day we came to America.)
- Lub koob tsheej loj no yog dab tsi?
(What is this large festival?)
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Hmong Word-a-Day
3 December 2004
Soob: slender, thin; high (when used in reference to pitch)
Pronunciation: shong (high tone)
Synonyms: soob xais - slender and elongated or stretched out
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Plhu/ntsej muag soob xais. 1
(An oval, elongated, or beautifully shaped face.)
- Tsob ntoo no muaj ntau ntau txoj cag uas soob soob heev.
(This tree has many roots that are long and slender.)
- Nws tsis loj tsis siab. Nws cev yiag txias soob xais. 2
(He wasn't big or tall, but he stood straight and was slender.)
- Tus hluas nkauj ntawd hu nkauj suab soob nkoov zim, mas kuv xav tias kuv nyiam nws heev li. 2
(That girl sang with such a beautiful soprano voice; man, I think I really like her.)
- Hli hais lus soob soob li. 2
(Hlee speaks with a really clear soprano voice.)
Ua tsaug ntau ntau rau
1. TP Nyiaj Pov
2. Nplaim Hlub
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Hmong Word-a-Day
6 December 2004
Caus yaum: tingling; sensation of pins and needles in the extremities; of extremities falling asleep
Pronunciation: gy-ow (low tone) yow (glottal stop)
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Koj ntiv taw puas caus yaum?
(Are your toes tingling?)
- Zaum quav ceg, ceg caus yaum.1
(When you sit with your legs crossed, your leg will fall asleep.)
- Lis ntshai heev. Nws lub cev caus yaum tam sid.
(Lee was scared. His body was tingling all of a sudden.)
- Kua txob ntsim loog loog caus. 2
(Hot peppers are very hot and spicy and can produce a tingling sensation in your head.)
Ua tsaug ntau ntau rau
1. TP Nyiaj Pov
2. TP Nyiaj Pov
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Hmong Word-a-Day
7 December 2004
Tsib: gallbladder
Pronunciation: jee (high tone)
Classifier: lub
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Lub tsib nyob nruab nrab lub siab thiab lub plab.
(The gallbladder is in between the liver and the stomach.)
- Ib txhia neeg muaj mob pob zeb nyob rau hauv lub tsib, ib txhia muaj pob zeb nyob rau hauv lub raum.
(Some people have gallbladder stones, some have kidney stones.)
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Hmong Word-a-Day
8 December 2004
Poj koob yawm txwv: ancestors, forefathers
Pronunciation: bah (high falling tone) gong (high tone) yuh (glottal stop) tzeu (low rising tone)
Synonyms:
poj koob yawm koob: ancestors
poj yawm txwv koob: ancestors
poj yawm txwv zeej: ancestors
txwv zeej txwv koob: ancestors
ob pog peb yawg: ancestors, lit. 2 grandmothers, 3 grandfathers
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Koj puas paub txog koj poj koob yawm txwv?
(Do you know about your ancestors?)
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Hmong Word-a-Day
9 December 2004
Vum loj: greedy
Pronunciation: voo (glottal stop) lah (high falling tone)
Variation: vwm loj
Synonyms:
vum khawb: greedy
cuaj khaum: greedy, selfish
vwm loj vwm leg: crazy for something, really want something
qia dub: selfish
ntshaw vum loj: a great desire for, a need for, almost reaching greediness
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Neeg vum loj.
(A greedy person.)
- Nws hais kom peb them nyiaj ntau heev. Nws tsis quav ntsej txog peb, nws vum loj heev xwb xwb li.
(He wants us to pay him alot of money. He doesn't care about us, he is just really greedy.)
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Hmong Word-a-Day
13 December 2004
Ntais ntawv: a match
Pronunciation: n-die (low tone) n-duh (low rising tone)
Classifier: lub
Variation:
qws ntais ntawv - a match
hauv txhuam - a match
(tug) txheeb ntais - a match
Similar Words:
lub ntais - a lighter, a cigarette lighter
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Ntaus ntais ntawv.
(To strike a match.)
- Nws tua ib tug nas ncuav, tab sis nws tsis muaj ntais ntawv zes taws kom ci nqaij nas ntawd.
(He killed a squirrel, but he didn't have any matches to light a fire to cook the squirrel meat.)
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Hmong Word-a-Day
14 December 2004
Noob Hnav: a sesame seed
Pronunciation: nong (high tone) hnah (low rising tone, blowing air out of your nose when saying the "hn" syllable)
Similar Words:
tsob hnav - a sesame plant
quav hnav - a freckle
twv txaij - a freckle
npuav hnav - often used in anger as an insult to someone who refuses to respond
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Cov neeg nyob Esxias nyiam siv noob hnav ua mov noj.
(People who live in Asia like to use sesame seeds when cooking.)
- Tsuam cov noob hnav, ces koj yuav tau me ntsis roj uas tsis lwj li.
(If you press sesame seeds, then you will obtain some oil that will never spoil/turn rancid.)
- Nws plhu ua quav hnav.
(She has freckles.)
- Koj tseem npuav hnav! 1
(Why don't you respond to me!)
Ua tsaug ntau:
1. TP Nyiaj Pov
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Hmong Word-a-Day
15 December 2004
Ntaub tsuj: satin
Pronunciation: n-dow (high tone) jew (high falling tone)
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Koj puas yuav siv ntaub tsuj ua tsho khuam rau kuv hnav?
(Are you going to use satin to make a vest for me to wear?)
- Saib! Tus hluas nkauj nyob tod! Nws hnav tsuj hnav npuag mas zoo nkauj tas npaud li!
(Look at that girl over there. She is wearing such beautiful clothes!)
- Thaum mos mos cuag ntaub tsuj, thaum ntxhib ntxhib cuag plab nyuj. Yog dab tsi? 1
(When it is soft, it is as soft as satin. When it is coarse, it is as coarse as a cow's stomach. What is it?)
The answer will be revealed tomorrow.
Tag kis yuav txhais teeb meem no rau nej.
Ua tsaug ntau:
1. Hmongnet
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Hmong Word-a-Day
15 December 2004
Siab qaug lais: to be infatuated with or hooked on something or someone
Pronunciation: shee-uh (high tone) gao - in the back of the throat (breathy tone) lie (low tone)
Classifier: lub
Variation:
Siab qaug laim
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Es, koj puas paub nws siab qaug lais rau koj?
(So did you know he is infatuated with you?)
- Nws yeej ib txwm ua siab qaug lais rau kev ua luam dej.
(He has always been infatuated with swimming.!)
- Nws hu nkauj ua kuv lub siab qaug lais.
(Her singing made me long for her.)
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Hmong Word-a-Day
21 December 2004
Rawg: chopsticks
Pronunciation: druh (breathy tone)
Classifier:
ib nti rawg - a chopstick
ib tug rawg - a chopstick
ib txhais rawg - a chopstick
ib txwg rawg - a pair of chopsticks
Related Words:
lub raj rawg - the tube used to store the chopsticks in
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Tooj tsis txawj tuav rawg.
(Tong doesn't know how to hold chopsticks.)
- Kuv txawj noj rawg.
(I know how to eat with chopsticks.)
- Hawj Vaj cov me nyuam paub noj rawg.
(Her Vang's kids know how to eat with chopsticks.)
- Koj puas nyiam xuas rawg noj?
(Do you like to eat with chopsticks?)
- Nws cia li tais ib rawg nqaij.
(He went ahead and snagged a piece of meat (with the chopsticks.)
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Hmong Word-a-Day
22 December 2004
Dav fo: spacious, broad, enormous, boundless, immense
Pronunciation: da [a as in apple](low rising tone) fah (no tone)
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Lawv nyob hauv ib lub tsev dav fo.
(They live in a spacious home.)
- Nyob lub teb chaws Ameslivkas lub xeev Utah muaj ntau thaj av loj thiab dav fo.
(In America, in the state of Utah, there are many broad and wide open stretches of land.)
- Txawm nws yog ib tug txiv neej yawg me los nws lub siab kuj loj dav fo. Yog koj yuav tau nws ces nws yeej yuav hlub koj ib leeg mus kom
txog hnub kawg. 1
(Even though he is a man of small stature, he has a enormous heart. If you will marry him, he will always love you till the end.)
- Cov teb chaws vam meej nyob sab hnub poob qhib kev dav fo tos Hmoob thiab muab lub cib fim rau Hmoob tuaj mus tsim dua lub neej
tshiab nyob. 2
(The western countries flourished and opened a broad road for the Hmong and provided the opportunity for them to come create a new life.
)
- Txawm tias yus tsis tau tus ntawd los ua lub siab ntev. Yog tias koj muaj txoj hlub dav fo raws li koj hais ib hnub twg koj yeej yuav ntsib ib
tug zoo zoo ib yam li koj thawj tug hlub thiab. 3
(Although you didn't get to be with him, be patient. If you let your love be boundless like you said then one day, you will meet someone just
like your first love. )
Ua tsaug ntau rau:
1. Tsis Muaj Rab Peev xwm
2. Saub Ntxoov Doog
3. Tub Pheej Yig
