When you're just starting out in Vietnamese, learning basic adjectives like "cao" (tall, high) is super useful. It's a fundamental word at the A1 level because it helps you describe many things around you.
You can use "cao" to talk about people's height, the elevation of mountains, or even the height of buildings. Mastering this word early on will significantly boost your descriptive abilities in everyday conversations.
When used as an adjective, cao primarily describes something having great vertical extent, like a tall person (người cao) or a high mountain (núi cao). It can also refer to a high level or degree, such as high fever (sốt cao) or high standards (tiêu chuẩn cao). However, its meaning extends to more abstract concepts at C2 level. For instance, cao can denote seniority or importance within a hierarchy, like a high-ranking official (quan chức cao cấp). It can also imply nobility or superiority in quality, such as high-minded ideals (lý tưởng cao đẹp) or high art (nghệ thuật cao). The specific nuance often depends on the noun it modifies, making context crucial for accurate interpretation.
Cao en 30 secondes
- Use 'cao' for tall things like buildings or people.
- Also use 'cao' for things that are high up, like a mountain.
- It's a common adjective to describe vertical extension.
§ What 'Cao' Means
- Definition
- Tall, high. 'Cao' is an adjective you'll hear a lot. It describes height for people and objects, and also refers to things being 'high' in a more abstract sense.
§ 'Cao' at Work
When you're at work, 'cao' can come up in many situations. It might describe a person's height, the height of a building, or even a 'high' position in a company.
Anh ấy rất cao.
Hint: 'Anh ấy' means he, 'rất' means very. So, 'He is very tall.'
Tòa nhà này rất cao.
Hint: 'Tòa nhà này' means this building, 'rất' means very. So, 'This building is very high/tall.'
§ 'Cao' at School
In a school setting, 'cao' can describe grades, levels of education, or even the height of a student or a bookshelf.
Điểm của bạn rất cao.
Hint: 'Điểm của bạn' means your score/grade, 'rất' means very. So, 'Your grade is very high.'
Anh ấy học cấp cao đẳng.
Hint: 'Anh ấy học' means he studies, 'cấp cao đẳng' means college level. So, 'He studies at college level.'
§ 'Cao' in the News
News reports often use 'cao' to talk about high prices, high temperatures, or important positions. It's a versatile word.
Giá xăng đang rất cao.
Hint: 'Giá xăng' means gas price, 'đang' means currently, 'rất' means very. So, 'Gas prices are very high.'
Nhiệt độ hôm nay cao.
Hint: 'Nhiệt độ hôm nay' means today's temperature. So, 'Today's temperature is high.'
Ông ấy giữ chức vụ cao.
Hint: 'Ông ấy' means he, 'giữ chức vụ' means holds a position. So, 'He holds a high position.'
§ Common Phrases with 'Cao'
Here are some useful phrases that use 'cao'. Knowing these will help you sound more natural.
Cao cấp: High-class, advanced. (e.g., Khóa học này rất cao cấp. - This course is very advanced.)
Cao lương mỹ vị: Delicacies, rich foods. (e.g., Bữa tiệc có nhiều cao lương mỹ vị. - The party had many delicacies.)
Cao điểm: Peak time, rush hour. (e.g., Bây giờ là giờ cao điểm. - Now is rush hour.)
Cao thượng: Noble, generous. (e.g., Hành động của anh ấy rất cao thượng. - His action was very noble.)
Practice using these phrases and you'll get comfortable with 'cao' in no time!
How Formal Is It?
"Toà nhà này rất cao."
"Anh ấy cao."
"Cậu cao ghê."
"Bạn voi cao lớn quá!"
"Cây này cao vút trời luôn."
Guide de prononciation
- Often mispronounced with a rising tone (cáo) or falling tone (cào). Remember to keep it level and slightly short.
Grammaire à connaître
Placing 'cao' after a noun to describe its height.
Anh ấy rất cao. (He is very tall.)
Using 'cao' in comparisons with 'hơn' (more than) or 'nhất' (most).
Cô ấy cao hơn tôi. (She is taller than me.) Anh ấy là người cao nhất lớp. (He is the tallest person in the class.)
Using 'cao' to describe the elevation or height of inanimate objects.
Ngọn núi này rất cao. (This mountain is very high.)
Using 'cao' in the context of 'how tall' or 'how high' with 'bao nhiêu'.
Bạn cao bao nhiêu? (How tall are you?) Tòa nhà này cao bao nhiêu? (How high is this building?)
Combining 'cao' with 'lên' to indicate an increase in height.
Con bạn cao lên nhiều rồi. (Your child has grown a lot taller.)
Expressions idiomatiques
"cao kều"
lanky, very tall and thin
Anh chàng đó cao kều lắm.
informal"cao thượng"
noble, magnanimous
Hành động của anh ấy thật cao thượng.
formal"cao cấp"
high-class, advanced
Đây là sản phẩm cao cấp.
neutral"cao tuổi"
elderly, old (person)
Ông tôi đã cao tuổi rồi.
neutral"cao độ"
high degree, intense
Sự căng thẳng lên đến cao độ.
formal"cao vút"
soaring, towering
Ngọn núi cao vút lên trời.
neutral"cao kiến"
good idea, valuable opinion
Bạn có cao kiến gì không?
formal"cao ngạo"
arrogant, haughty
Thái độ của anh ấy rất cao ngạo.
neutral"cao tay"
skillful, experienced
Anh ta chơi cờ rất cao tay.
informal"cao thủ"
master (of a skill), expert
Cô ấy là một cao thủ võ thuật.
neutralAstuces
Basic Meaning of 'Cao'
The most common meaning of cao is tall or high. You'll use it for people, buildings, mountains, and anything else that has a significant height.
Saying 'Tall Person'
To say 'tall person', you can say người cao. Người means person.
Saying 'High Mountain'
For 'high mountain', use núi cao. Núi means mountain.
Comparing Heights
To say someone is taller, you use cao hơn. Hơn means 'more than' or 'than'.
Opposite of 'Cao'
The opposite of cao is thấp, which means short or low. Learn them together!
Common Phrase: 'High Quality'
Cao cấp means high quality or premium. You'll hear this often for products.
Common Phrase: 'High School'
Trường cấp ba or trường trung học phổ thông is used for high school. Sometimes just cấp ba for short.
Use with Numbers and Measurements
When stating someone's height, you would say cao [number] mét (tall [number] meters).
Don't confuse with 'Cao' in names
Be aware that Cao is also a common Vietnamese surname. The meaning is unrelated to the adjective.
Practice with Simple Sentences
Try making simple sentences: 'Anh ấy cao.' (He is tall.) or 'Tòa nhà này rất cao.' (This building is very high/tall.)
Teste-toi 24 questions
Which word means 'tall' or 'high'?
'Cao' means tall or high. 'Thấp' means short or low. 'Nhanh' means fast. 'Chậm' means slow.
My brother is very tall. Which Vietnamese word describes 'tall'?
To say someone is tall, you use 'cao'. 'Đẹp' means beautiful. 'Nhỏ' means small. 'To' means big.
The mountain is very high. Which word means 'high'?
'Cao' is used for height, like a high mountain. 'Dài' means long. 'Rộng' means wide. 'Ngắn' means short (length).
The word 'cao' means 'short'.
'Cao' means 'tall' or 'high', not 'short'. The word for 'short' (height) is 'thấp'.
You can use 'cao' to describe a tall building.
'Cao' is correctly used to describe a tall building, as it means 'tall' or 'high'.
If someone is 'rất cao', it means they are very short.
'Rất cao' means 'very tall'. 'Rất' means 'very', and 'cao' means 'tall'.
Listen for 'cao' in the context of buildings.
Listen for 'cao' describing a person's height.
Listen for 'cao' referring to a price.
Read this aloud:
Ngọn núi này rất cao.
Focus: cao
Tu as dit :
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Read this aloud:
Cô ấy có giọng nói cao và rõ ràng.
Focus: cao
Tu as dit :
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Read this aloud:
Bạn có nghĩ rằng chi phí sinh hoạt ở đây cao không?
Focus: cao
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
This exercise tests your ability to correctly order words to form a coherent sentence about a tall architectural structure. The superlative 'cao nhất' (tallest) is key here.
This sentence uses 'cao' metaphorically to mean 'high' or 'broad' perspective. Ordering the words correctly shows understanding of complex sentence structures and idiomatic expressions.
This exercise tests your understanding of 'cao' in the context of 'high standard of living'. Correct ordering of 'so với' (compared to) is crucial for this B2 level sentence.
Phan Xi Păng, the highest mountain in Indochina, is very high.
Despite her age, she maintains a tall stature and elegant demeanor.
The government's decision to improve the living standards of people in remote areas is a sound policy.
Read this aloud:
Hà Nội mùa này có nhiều cây cổ thụ cao vút, tạo bóng mát cho những con phố.
Focus: cao vút
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Mục tiêu của chúng tôi là nâng cao chất lượng dịch vụ khách hàng lên một tầm cao mới.
Focus: nâng cao, tầm cao mới
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Kỳ vọng của anh ấy về cuộc sống luôn cao hơn thực tế, điều đó đôi khi khiến anh thất vọng.
Focus: kỳ vọng cao
Tu as dit :
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/ 24 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
Remember 'cao' means tall or high, and you can use it for many different situations.
- Use 'cao' for tall things like buildings or people.
- Also use 'cao' for things that are high up, like a mountain.
- It's a common adjective to describe vertical extension.
Basic Meaning of 'Cao'
The most common meaning of cao is tall or high. You'll use it for people, buildings, mountains, and anything else that has a significant height.
Saying 'Tall Person'
To say 'tall person', you can say người cao. Người means person.
Saying 'High Mountain'
For 'high mountain', use núi cao. Núi means mountain.
Comparing Heights
To say someone is taller, you use cao hơn. Hơn means 'more than' or 'than'.
