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Questions & Answers about An thích trái cây.
Why does the sentence begin with An?
An is a Vietnamese given name, and in this sentence, it's the subject (the person who likes something). It's capitalized because it's a proper noun.
What does thích mean?
Thích generally means to like, to be fond of, or to enjoy something in Vietnamese. Here, it indicates An’s preference for fruit.
How do I pronounce trái cây?
Trái is pronounced with a rising tone (like a short rise in pitch), and cây typically with a level tone (slightly lowered or flat). You can think of it as /ch-eye/ (with a rise) followed by /kay/ (flat).
Is trái cây the only way to say fruit in Vietnamese?
You may also hear hoa quả, which is another term for fruit, although it’s more common in the north of Vietnam. Trái cây is widely understood throughout the country.
Why isn’t there an article before trái cây?
In Vietnamese, articles (like a, the in English) don’t exist in the same way. Vietnamese doesn't require an article before nouns, so you can directly say thích trái cây without adding anything like the or a.