Hmong Vocabulary and Expressions

Vocabulary practice cards providing definitions and example sentences for key Hmong words.

Choj

Bridge; as in "Kuv pom tus choj liab" (I saw a red bridge).

Chav

Area / Room; as in "Peb xav siv hoob chav no" (We want to use this room).

Chwv (Chwy)

Touch someone slightly; as in "Nws chwv tus pojniam sab tes" (He touches the woman's hand).

Cheem

To prevent people from doing something; as in "Nws cheem tias, 'Tsis pub haus luam yeeb'" (He prevents saying, 'Do not smoke cigarette').

Chaw

Place; as in "Sawvdaws xav mus saib qhov chaw no" (Everyone wants to see this place).

Dhia

Run; as in "Nws dhia tau ceev heev" (She runs very fast).

Dhau

Over; as in "Kuv dhia dhau tus pas" (I jump over the stick).

Dhuav

Boredom; as in "Kuv dhuav ua luaj li" (I am so bored).

Dhos

To fit together; as in "Kuv dhos cov lej zauv".

Dlaab

Ghost; as in "Kuv pom ib tug dlaab" (I see a ghost).

Dlaag

Lying; as in "Koj puas tau dlaag lwm tug?" (Have you lied to others?).

Dlai

Hanging; as in "Kuv nam dlai ib cov paaj" (My mother hangs some flowers).

Dlav

Spoon; as in "Peb muaj ob peb hom dlav" (We have a few types of spoons).

Dlaws

To untie; as in "Kuv dlaws lub pob hlua" (I untie the knot).

Hlub

To love; as in "Koj puas hlub kuv tiag?" (Do you still love me?).

Hlau

Metal; as in "Cov hlau no tawv heev" (These metals are very hard).

Hla

Step over; as in "Kuv hla lub kaus mom" (I walk over the hat).

Hluas (Teenagers)

Teenagers; as in "Cov hluas mus kawm ntawv" (Those teenagers go to school).

Hlawv (Hlawy)

To burn; as in "Peb hlawv cov haav zoov" (We burn the forest).

Hluas (Young)

Young; as in "Kuv tseem hluas" (I am still young).

Hmoov

Powder; as in "Peb xav siv hmoov qos" (We like to use potato powder).

Hma

Wolf; as in "Tus hma tab tom caum kauv" (The wolf is chasing the deer).

Hmo no

Tonight; as in "Hmo no, kuv tuaj saib koj" (Tonight, I come to visit you).

Hmuv

Spear; as in "Peb ua tau ib tug hmuv" (We made a spear).

Hmoob

Hmong; as in "Kuv yog Hmoob leeg" (I am a Green Hmong).

Hnab

A bag; as in "Lub no yog lub hnab yas xiav" (This is a blue plastic bag).

Hnav

To wear; as in "Kuv hnav lub ris daj" (I wear yellow pants).

Hnia

To smell; as in "Kuv xav hnia lub paj liab" (I like to smell the red flower).

Hnoos

Coughing; as in "Vim li cas koj hnoos?" (Why are you coughing?).

Hnub

Sun / day; as in "Lub hnub ci pom kev heev" (The sun shines very bright).

Khub

A pair; as in "Kuv pom ib khub ris" (I see a pair of pants).

Khib

Jealousy; as in "Vim kuv yeej ces nws khib" (Because I won, he got jealous).

Khaws

Pick it up; as in "Kuv khaws cov koom poom" (I pick up the cans).

Khiav

Run away; as in "Dab hem peb lawm ces khiav" (Spirit scares us so run).

Khoov

Bend down; as in "Nws khoov mus khaws khoom" (She bends down to pick up stuff).

Mloog

To listen; as in "Kuv mloog kuv niam lus" (I listen to my mom's words).

Mluav

Crush / crushed; as in "Lub koom poom mluav lawm" (The can is crushed).

Mlom

Idol; as in "Tej tus neeg teev mlom tooj" (Some people worship copper idol).

Mluas

Depress / depressed; as in "Vim li cas koj yuav mluas ua luaj?" (Why are you so depressed?).

Ncauj

Mouth; as in "Kuv lub qhov ncauj me me" (My mouth is small).

Ncav

To reach; as in "Kuv ncav kuv sab npab" (I reach my arm out).

Ncaws

To kick; as in "Kuv ncaws lub pob" (I kicked the ball).

Ncaim

Going away; as in "Kuv yuav ncaim koj mus li kaum nub" (I'm going away for 10 days).

Nce

To climb; as in "Kuv xav mus nce cov roob uas siab" (I want to climb those tall mountains).

Ncej

A post; as in "Tus ncej fais fab no siab heev" (This electric post is very tall).

Nkuaj

Prison; as in "Cov neeg tub sab mus nkuaj" (The thieves went to the prison).

Nkag

To crawl; as in "Peb tus mos ab paub nkag lawm" (Our baby know how to crawl).

Nkos

Muddy; as in "Cov av no nkos ua luaj" (These soil are very muddy).

Nkaum

To hide; as in "Nws khiav nkaum tom qab lub rooj" (She ran to hide behind the table).

Nkauj

Song; as in "Peb los sawv ua ke hu nkauj" (We stand together to sing).

Npaj

Prepare; as in "Peb tab tom npaj ua mov noj" (We are preparing to cook food).

Npaug

Time (X) / Multiplication; as in "No yog cov zauv lej peb npaug" (This is a multiplication of three).

Npaum

As much; as in "Kuv muaj kub npaum le koj hab" (I have gold as much as you, too).

Npe

Name; as in "Koj lub npe hu li cas?" (What is your name?).

Npam

Karma; as in "Kev npam yuav caum tus neeg ua laib" (Karma will chase after a gangster).

Nqa

To carry; as in "Koj pab nqa cov zaub mov no" (You help carry this vegetables).

Nqaij

Meat; as in "Peb yuav mus yuav nqaij coj los noj" (We will go buy meat to eat).

Nquag

Not lazy / Working hard; as in "Tus pojniam no nquag heev li" (This woman is working hard).

Nqi (Ngi)

Bill / Expense; as in "Lub hlis no cov nuj nqi ntau heev" (This month there are a lot of bills).

Nqus

To suck out; as in "Peb siv cav los nqus peb lub pasdej" (We use the machine to suck out the lake).

Nruj

Tight; as in "Txoj hlua nruj heev" (The rope is very tight).

Nrau

Head butting; as in "Nyuj sib nrau muaj ceem kawg" (Bull head butting is so rough).

Nres

Stop moving; as in "Txog caij peb nres lawm" (It is time to stop moving).

Nrov

Loud; as in "Tus quaspuj has lug nrov heev" (The woman speaks very loud).

Nrug

At a distance; as in "Koj sawv nrug kom deb ntawm kuv" (You stand at a distance from me).

Ntaj

Sword; as in "Rab ntaj no kim heev" (This sword is very expensive).

Ntau

A lot; as in "Kuv niam muaj nyiaj ntau heev" (My mother has a lot of money).

Ntub

Wet; as in "Wb ob lub ris ntub dej lawm" (Our pants are wet).

Ntaub

Fabric; as in "Kuv nyiam cov ntaub uas xiav" (I like the blue fabric).

Nyab

Daughter-in-law (or sister-in-law); as in "Peb tau ib tus nyab Hmoob".

Nyeem

To read; as in "Peb peb leeg nyeem ntawv" (We three read book).

Nyuab

Difficult; as in "Ua liaj mas nyuab ua luaj" (Rice paddy planting is difficult).

Nyiag

Stealing; as in "Kuv tus phoojywg nyiag kuv cov nyiaj" (My friend steals my money).

Phau

A binder / classifier for books; as in "Cov phau ntawv no zoo nyeem heev" (These books are good to read).

Nyiaj

Money; as in "Kuv muaj nyiaj ntau heev" (I have a lot of money).

Phim

Match; as in "Pov hab Maiv sib phim heev" (Pao and Mai match each other).

Phauj

Auntie; as in "Kuv tus phauj lub siab zoo zoo" (My aunt is very kind hearted).

Phaj

Plate; as in "Peb siv lub phaj xiav los noj mov" (We use the blue plate to eat food).

Phua

To split wood; as in "Peb siv rab taus phua taws" (We use the axe to split wood).

Plam

Slip away; as in "Lub xovtooj plam ntawm kuv tes" (The phone slipped out of my hand).

Pluav

To deflate; as in "Lub log luv pluav lawm" (The car's tire is deflated).

Plees

Goofing around; as in "Ob tus neeg coj plees heev" (Two people like to goof around).

Pluag

Poor; as in "Cov neeg pluag tub nkeeg heev" (Poor people are lazy).

Plas

Owl; as in "Plas nyiam ya mo ntuj" (Owl likes to fly at night).

Qhia

Teach; as in "Kuv niam qhia kuv kom ua neeg zoo" (My mother teaches me to be a good person).

Qhov

Hole; as in "Peb pom ib lub qhov tob heev" (We see a very deep hole).

Qhuav

Dried up; as in "Lub pasdej no qhuav tag lawm" (This lake is all dried up).

Qhuas

To praise; as in "Cov xibfwb qhuas tias, kuv yeej lawm" (The teachers praise that, I won).

Qhib

To open; as in "Kuv qhib qhov rooj rau koj" (I open the door for you).

Rhaub

To heat it up / boil; as in "Koj rhaub zaub rau peb noj" (You boiled vegetables for us to eat).

Rhiab

Ticklish; as in "Kuv rhiab qab xib taws" (My under foot is very ticklish).

Rhuav

To destroy; as in "Lub qe hlau rhuav tus ncej pobzeb" (The metal ball destroys the cement pole).

Rhawv Dej

Cement water container; as in "Peb haus dej ntawm lub rhawv dej" (We drink the water from the cement water container).

Rho

To pull it out; as in "Kuv niam rho tau tus zaub ntug dawb" (My mother pulled out the white carrot).

Tham

Discuss / talk; as in "Cov tub kawm ntawv xav sib tham heev" (The students like to talk).

Thaiv

To protect; as in "Peb tus maum dev tiv thaiv peb" (Our female dog protects us).

Thawb

To push; as in "Ua li cas yuav thawb nyuaj ua luaj?" (Why is it hard to push?).

Thoob

A bucket; as in "Hmoob siv lub thoob mus nqa dej" (Hmong use the bucket to carry the water).

Thawv

A box; as in "Peb siv thawv ntawv los ntim khoom" (We use the box to pack things).

Tsau

Full (after eating); as in "Noj mov tag mas kuv tsau plab heev" (After eating, I'm so full).