chầu trời

Vietnamese

Alternative forms

• chầu giời

Etymology

chầu (“to attend”) +‎ trời (“heaven”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕəw˨˩ t͡ɕəːj˨˩]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕəw˦˩ ʈəːj˦˩]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [cəw˨˩ ʈəːj˨˩]

Verb

chầu trời

1. (folklore, occult, of a god) to attend the heavenly court of the Jade Emperor

   thả cả chép, tiễn ông Táo lên chầu trời

   to release a carp and give the Kitchen God a ride to heaven

2. (humorous) Synonym of chết (“to die; to pass away”)