ế

Letter

ế (upper case Ế)

1. The letter e with a circumflex and an acute accent.

Alternative forms

• ê, e – nonstandard

Romanization

ế (ê², Zhuyin ㄝˊ)

1. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 欸
2. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 誒／诶
3. Hanyu Pinyin reading of 㗒

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA: [ʔe˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA: [ʔej˨˩˦]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA: [ʔej˦˥]

Adjective

ế • (饐, 噎)

1. (of goods, shop, or restaurant) unmarketable; unsalable; unable to find customers; sluggish
2. (colloquial, of people) past the usual age for marriage but still unmarried or single; on the shelf
   • ế chồng ― (of a woman) to be on the shelf