sạch bách

Vietnamese

Etymology

sạch +‎ bách, likely a non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 白 (“white”, SV: bạch). It is not clear what triggered tonal dissimilation.

Pronunciation
  • (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [sajk̟̚˧˨ʔ ʔɓajk̟̚˧˦]
  • (Huế) IPA(key): [ʂat̚˨˩ʔ ʔɓat̚˦˧˥] ~ [sat̚˨˩ʔ ʔɓat̚˦˧˥]
  • (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [ʂat̚˨˩˨ ʔɓat̚˦˥] ~ [sat̚˨˩˨ ʔɓat̚˦˥]

Adjective

sạch bách

  1. (colloquial) empty; vacant
    Mới ngồi có mấy phút mà nó ăn chén dĩa sạch bách hết rồi.
    Within just a few minutes, he already devoured everything on the table, not a thing is left.
    Túi sạch bách rồi, tiền đâu mà xin.
    I'm broke, so I can't lend you any right now.
    (literally, “My pocket is empty, no money for you to borrow.”)
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