ma tuý

Vietnamese

Alternative forms

• ma túy
• (humorous) mai thuý

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 麻醉 (“anesthesia; narcosis”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [maː˧˧ twi˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [maː˧˧ twɪj˨˩˦]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [maː˧˧ t⁽ʷ⁾ɪj˦˥]

Noun

ma tuý

1. narcotic; illicit drug

   Cấm sử dụng ma túy dưới mọi hình thức.

   Using narcotics in any form is prohibited.

Usage notes

• The word can sounds quite formal; in daily conversation, some speakers might choose expressions like xì-ke or thuốc instead.

See also

• xì-ke