kẻ cả

Vietnamese

Etymology

kẻ (“person”) +‎ cả (“firstborn; most senior among siblings or wives of the family”)

Pronunciation

  • (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [kɛ˧˩ kaː˧˩]
  • (Huế) IPA(key): [kɛ˧˨ kaː˧˨]
  • (Saigon) IPA(key): [kɛ˨˩˦ kaː˨˩˦]

Noun

kẻ cả

  1. (dated) an elder; senior
  2. (figurative) a big shot; VIP; boss
  3. (derogatory, figurative) a condescending person; self-important person

Adjective

kẻ cả

  1. (derogatory, by extension) condescending; self-important
    lên giọng kẻ cả ― to raise a condescending voice
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