chăn rau

Vietnamese

Etymology

chăn (“to shepherd, to raise”) +‎ rau (“vegetable”). Rau in this case is a perogative slang term for an inexperienced or promiscuous woman. To literally grow vegetables is to trồng rau.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕan˧˧ zaw˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕaŋ˧˧ ʐaw˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [caŋ˧˧ ɹa(ː)w˧˧]

Verb

chăn rau

1. (neologism, slang, derogatory) to seduce and hook up with a young woman; to play the field

   Synonym: dụ dỗ