Hmoob Word-a-Day
1 November 2004
Txom ncauj: candy or treats or snacks that "tickle one's tastebuds"
Pronounciation: tzo (glottal stop)
Synonyms:
Noj xob yem (to eat a snack - traditionally a supplemental meal during the night following a ceremony)
Noj txuj txom (to eat delicacies/treats/candy)
Noj khoom qab zib (to eat delicacies/treats/candy)
Noj pi pi qab xob (to eat candy or treats - this one I heard once a while ago, has anyone heard of this?)
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Kalees kuj zoo noj txom ncauj thaum lub caij so.
(Ice cream (lao) is a good treat to eat in the summer.)
- Ua ntej koj noj txuj txom koj yuav tsum tau noj zaub ntsuab.
(Before you eat any candy, you need to eat your leafy greens.)
- Yuav qab zib txom ncauj.1
(to buy candy to tantalize one's taste buds or for enjoyment.)
- Xyoob tig hau tom qab saib no cas pom ib tug hluas nkauj zoo zoo nkauj, plaub hau ntev ntev ntxhee yees, nyeem rawv ib phau ntawv
thiab noj noj khoom txom ncauj.
(Xiong turned and saw a beautiful young woman, hair long and curled under, intently reading a novel and eating some treats.
Ua tsaug ntau ntau rau:
1. Txiv Plig Nyiaj Pov
2. Kab Ziag
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Hmoob Word-a-Day
2 November 2004
Pov ntawv: to vote
Pronounciation: bah (low rising tone) n-daw (low rising)
Synonyms: Pov npav (to vote)
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
Leej twg thiaj muaj feem pov ntawv nyob teb chaws Ameslikas?
(Who has the right to vote in America?)
Ameslikas teb no muaj ob niag phav kas moos loj tshaj plaws es koj yuav pov npav rau phav twg?
(America has two major political parties; which side are you going to vote for?)
Peb hmoob yeej ib txwm tsis muaj peev xwm/cib fim pov ntawv xaiv nom ib zaus li.
(We Hmong have never had the ability/opportunity to vote for a leader.)
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Hmoob Word-a-Day
3 November 2004
Tab meeg: publicly or openly
Pronounciation: da (high tone) mang as in mango (breathy tone)
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Npis tab meeg cem nws tus kwv.
(Bee yelled at his younger brother in public.)
- Nws tsis tab meeg ua tub ceev xwm/tas npluaj.
(He isn't openly a police officer.)
- Nag hmo Tooj thiab Pov nkawd mus nram St. Paul thiab tab meeg yos hluas nkauj.
(Yesterday, Tong and Pao went down to St Paul and openly was playing/flirting with the girls.)
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Hmoob Word-a-Day
4 November 2004
Nphob xuav: abandoned and deteriorating; unkept; haggard
Pronounciation: n-paw (high tone) sue-ah (low rising tone)
Similar words: nphob tsus, nphob tsuj tsus - unkept, full of junk and dusty.
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Koob twb saib ntsoov Mim los nws ob lub qhov muag tseem nphob xuav.1
(Kong looked at Mee; her eyes were still heavy and distraught.)
- Thaum ub peb nyob Rooj Dub, tiam sis niaj hnub no Rooj Dub yog ib lub zog nphob xuav xwb.
(Back then we lived in Black Mountain, but these days it is just an old and abandoned village.)
- Txhob mus txoj kev ntawd; txoj kev ntawd nphob xuav heev.
(Don’t use that road; it is unkept and unused.)
- Neeg ntshai ntshai ua ntsej muag nphob xuav.
(People who are frightened have haggard look about them.)
- Peb lub tsev nphob tsus naj!
(Our house is full of junk and dusty!)
Ua tsaug ntau rau:
1. 3 Miao
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Hmoob Word-a-Day
5 November 2004
Hub: a jar
Pronounciation: who (high tone)
Classifier: lub
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- ib lub hub (rau) dej.
(a jar of water.)
- Vaj, koj muab hub txiv kua ntoo los hliv ib khob rau niam tais nawb.
(Vang, pour a glass of juice from the jar for your aunt.)
- Hub liab hub zawm ncauj. 1
(the belly - literally - the red jar with a small opening.)
- Yuav muag nram hub liab. 2
(I'm going to eat it - literally - to sell it to the red jar.)
Ua tsaug ntau rau:
1. Txiv Plig Nyiaj Pov phau txhais lus
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Hmoob Word-a-Day
8 November 2004
Cuab thoj: a guava fruit
Pronounciation: gyue-ah (high tone) to - long o (falling high tone)
Classifier: txiv
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Niaj hnub, Maiv noj txiv cuab thoj.
(Mai eats guavas every day.)
- Koj puas nyiam haus kua txiv cuab thoj?
(Do you like to drink guava juice?)
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Hmoob Word-a-Day
9 November 2004
Nyias ntsais: delicate, fine
Pronounciation: nyee-ah (low tone) n-jai (low tone)
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Di ncauj nyias ntsais.
(Lips are fine and delicate.)
- Pleev tshuaj kom nyias ntsais rau ntawm nws qho mob kiav txhab .
(Apply the ointment/medicine delicately to his wound/sore.)
- Tib neeg lub neej nyias ntsais [ib] yam [li] nplooj ntawv, yuav ntuag thaum twg tsis paub.
(People's lives are like a delicate piece of paper, in that they can tear without anyone knowing.)
Ua tsaug ntau ntau rau:
1. Mee
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Hmoob Word-a-Day
10 November 2004
Ua tem toob: to ramble, to be senile
Pronounciation: oo-ah (no tone) day (glottal stop) dong (high tone)
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Kuv tsis xav mus kawm ntawv, vim tias peb tus xib fwb ua tem toob txog nws tus kheej xwb naj!
(I don't want to go to class, because our teacher just rambles on about himself!)
- Ntoo laus ntoo khoob, neeg laus neeg ua tem toob.1
(Old trees are hollow, old people ramble/are senile.)
Ua tsaug ntau ntau rau:
1. www.hmongnet.org/hmong-au/pivlus.htm
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Hmoob Word-a-Day
11 November 2004
Ua lwj ua liam: it conveys the idea of being out of control, wild, haphazard, in disorder, devastation, and commotion.
Pronounciation: oo-ah (no tone) leu (high falling) oo-ah (no tone) lee-ah(glottal stop)
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Lawv ua tsov ua rog ntev heev lawm mas teb chaws ua lwj ua liam li!
(They have been at war for so long that they country is in disorder!)
- Qw ua lwj ua liam.
(To shout (rant and rave) wildly.)
- Pheej cem nws ua lwj ua liam.
(Pang yell at him uncontrolably.)
- Sib tua lwj sib tua liam.1
(to fight one another wildly so that great damage ensues including loss of life and property.)
Ua tsaug ntau ntau rau:
1. TP Nyiaj Pov
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Hmoob Word-a-Day
12 November 2004
Kab cab qauj: a firefly or lightning bug
Pronounciation: ga as in gas (high tone) gya (high tone) gow in the back of the throat (high falling tone)
Variations: Kab taws teeb - the bug that lights up.
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Lub caij ntuj so thaum tsaus ntuj lawm, yog tias koj taug kev mus tom hav zoov nyaj koj yuav pom tej kab cab qauj ya ub ya no mas zoo
nkauj heev!
(In the summertime, after dark, if you go for a walk in the forest you might see some fireflies flying all around - it's really beautiful!)
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Hmoob Word-a-Day
16 November 2004
Nplai: scales (of animals)
Pronounciation: n-blai (no tone)
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Muaj ntau tus tsiaj txhu uas muaj nplai: ntses muaj nplai, nab muaj nplai hos kum zaug muaj nplai thiab!
(There are many animals that have scales: fish have scales, snakes have scales, and the pangolin/scaly anteater has scales too!)
- Nplai ntses tsis zoo noj. Yuav tsum hlais thiab tso pov tseg xwb!
(Fish scales aren't very tasty. You should cut them off and toss them!)
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Hmoob Word-a-Day
17 November 2004
Lub Dab: trough
Pronounciation: loo (no tone) da (high tone)
Similar words:
Lub dab/tais ntxuav muag: sink for washing the face.
Lub dab da dej: shower
Lub dab khi/sia me nyuam: car seat (used in some regions today)
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Muab pob kws rau hauv lub dab npua.
(Put some corn into the pig's trough.)
- Txhob hla lub dab lug teem dej haus, pub npua, pub nyuj thiab pub nees.1
(Don't cross troughs like the storage trough for drinking water, the pig's trough, the cow's trough, or the horse's trough.)
(I think this one is right, maybe some one can clarify it for us.)
Ua tsaug ntau rau:
1. Neeg Online
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Hmong Word-a-Day
18 November 2004
Nphoo ntxuas: of people bustling and restless; noisy and active; everything astir; hubbub.
Pronounciation: n-pong (no tone) n-zua (low tone)
Similar words:
nphoo ntxoj nphoo ntxuas: noisy, bustling.
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Nyob tom kiab khw neeg coob coob nphoo ntxuas.1
(At market, the crowds were busily astir and bustling.)
- Neeg zej zog dhia nphoo ntxuas tuaj saib kuv tus nees tshiab.
(The neighbors rushed over in a commotion to see my new horse.)
Ua tsaug ntau rau:
1. TP Nyiaj Pov
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Hmong Word-a-Day
19 November 2004
Do dus: expresses the idea of having been cleared, shorn or deforested (when talking about land).
Pronounciation: dah (no tone) doo (low tone)
Similar words:
do cuas: bare, uncovered and exposed.
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Lub roob/hav zoov do dus.1
(The mountain/forest is clear or deforested.)
- Toj roob kub hnyiab do dus...me nas me noog twb tsis muaj chaw nkaum li. Tsis tas li ntawd, nce mus txog pem tej laj roob los laj roob
do dus xwb tsis muaj dab tsi li.2
(The hills were burned and bare... the small creatures had no where to hide or go to. Not only that, we went up to the mountain ridge and
the ridge was bare with nothing on it. )
- Hnub qub yuav poob los ntsawm los tsoo lub ntiaj teb... ua rau tej tiaj nras kub lug do dus.3
(Stars will fall and smash the earth...and cause the broad expanse of earth to burn until it is bare.)
- ...[Lawv] yuav xuas chais chais Hmoob cov plaub hau do dus xwb...4
(They will shave off the Hmong people's hair so that their heads will be shorn and bald...)
Ua tsaug ntau rau:
1. TP Nyiaj Pov
2. Txhiaj Foom Xeem Yees
3. Lysao Lyfoung
4. Hmong Times
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Hmong Word-a-Day
29 November 2004
Txuj lom: spices, condiments
Pronounciation: tzoo (high falling tone) lah (with glottal stop)
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Maiv, muab tej txuj lom xyaw nqaij.
(Mai, mix the spices with the meat.)
- Nyob Nplog teb muaj ntau hom nroj tsuag: muaj tej co yog siv ua tshuaj kho mob thiab muaj tej co yog siv ua txuj lom rau zaub rau mov
kom qab.
(In Laos, there are many varieties of plants: some are used for medicinal purposes and some are used as condiments for foods.)
- Hmoob cov txuj lom muaj qhiav, dos, pum hub txoom, zaub txig ntses, taum paj, luam laws, ntiv, hnav tsuj liab, tsheej kub pov, nplooj txiv
kab ntxwv, zaug txig theem, tej ntawd. 1
(Condiments (spices) the Hmong use are, ginger, onions, ???, ???, beans, culantro, ???, ???, ???, orange leaves, ???, etc.
Perhaps we can get some help with these mystery herbs – any botany experts out there?
Ua tsaug ntau rau:
1. TP Nyiaj Pov
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Hmong Word-a-Day
30 November 2004
Luam thuam: spendy, extravagant, wasteful
Pronunciation: loo-uh (with glottal stop) two-uh (with glottal stop)
Synonym: phob nyiaj – to waste money
Lus Piv txwv (examples):
- Neeg luam thuam.
(A spendy person; a person who spends money freely.)
- Nws tsis muaj tswv yim siv nyiaj li. Nws coj nws cov nyiaj coj mus ua dog ua dig thiab ua neeg phob luam thuam xwb li.
(He has no wisdom in using his money. He uses his money in a reckless manner and is altogether an extravagant and wasteful person.)
- Nws luam thuam nyiaj txiag kawg. 1
(She is very spendy; she spends her money with ease.)
Ua tsaug ntau ntau rau:
1. TP Nyiaj Pov
