tinh trùng

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 精蟲, composed of 精 (“sperm”) and 蟲 (“animal”).

Pronunciation

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [tïŋ˧˧ t͡ɕʊwŋ͡m˨˩]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [tɨn˧˧ ʈʊwŋ͡m˦˩]
(Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [tɨn˧˧ ʈʊwŋ͡m˨˩]

Noun

(classifier con) tinh trùng

(cytology) a sperm cell

Usage notes

Due to the tadpole-like appearance of spermatozoa, the word is sometimes used with the classifier con in informal speech. In formal and scientific contexts, the noun is often not accompanied by any classifier.

See also

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