lại

See also: Appendix:Variations of "lai"

Vietnamese

Etymology

This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “In Baxter-Sagart (2014), they wrote that "The common word 來 lái ‘come’ shows an irregular development, perhaps due to the loss of final *-k in an unstressed form that was later restressed: (924) 來 *mə.rˤək > mə.rˤə > *rˤə > loj > lái ‘come’". Obviously this doesn't exactly explain the very weird and very irregular presence of -ʔ (> nặng tone) in Vietnamese. Let's assume that there was a stage when *-k > *-ʔ occurred and this *-ʔ that was quickly lost after that (so that 來 with 上 tone never happened) and Vietic borrowed it from this time, how could the *l- be explained? The Vietnamese word should show trace of *-rˤ- (‹r› or ‹s›) if the scenario was true, but it doesn't. Both the initial and nucleus point to a late loan (after *r(ˤ) > l already happened), but then how could be tone be interpreted?”

From Proto-Vietic *laːjʔ. Possibly related to Chinese 來 (MC loj, “to come; to arrive”) (SV: lai).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [laːj˧˨ʔ]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [laːj˨˩ʔ]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [laːj˨˩˨]
• Homophone: Lại

• Audio (Hà Nội):

  (file)

Adverb

lại • (吏, 又, 來, 賴)

1. (before verb) once more, indicates an action or state is resumed
   • 2022, SKĐS, “Một số trường hợp tái dương tính sau khi đã khỏi COVID-19, chuyên gia khuyến cáo gì?”, in Sức khoẻ & Đời sống‎:

     Tuy nhiên, trong thực tế có không ít trường hợp mắc COVID-19 điều trị khỏi, trong vòng hơn 1 tháng lại tiếp tục bị tái nhiễm lần 2.

     In practice, however, more than a few people with COVID-19 recover and after a month are infected a second time.

2. (after verb) again

   Bạn nói lại đi. ― Say it again.

3. (after adjective or verb) reducing in volume, distance, or increasing in density or viscosity

   nhắm mắt lại ― to shut one's eyes

   cứng lại ― to harden

   rắn lại ― to stiffen

   nấu cho đến khi đặc lại ― keep the heat on until the consistency is appropriately thick

   Bật nhạc nhỏ lại!

   Turn the volume down!

4. on the other hand, meanwhile
   • 2009, Thích Nhất Hạnh, Trái tim của Bụt, NXB Tổng hợp TP. Hồ Chí Minh, page 318:

     Tại sao có người trông mong đến giờ để được đi thiền hành, lại có người nghe chuông thiền hành thấy mệt nhọc trong lòng?

     Why do some people look forward to the moment they can go meditate, while others feel weary when hearing the meditation bell?

5. (after objects) indicates a return to some original state

   đóng cửa lại ― to close the door

   • 19th century, Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, Tale of Lục Vân Tiên:

     双親𦖑呐𢚸盃
     吏卢𡽫渃賖吹𠦳重

     Song thân nghe nói lòng vui,
     Lại lo non nước xa xôi ngàn trùng.

     Upon hearing that, his parents were joyous indeed,
     But worried still about his excruciatingly long journey ahead.

Verb

lại • (吏, 又, 來, 賴)

1. to come

   Mang lại đây! ― Bring that here!

Derived terms

• lại gần
• lùi lại
• trả lại
• trở lại

 

See also

• đến

References

• Laurence C. Thompson (1988) A Vietnamese Reference Grammar, University of Hawaii Press, pages 349–350