bình

Bình is a Vietnamese word with multiple, distinct meanings that can appear in everyday language, literature, and names. As a common noun, bình refers to a container such as a bottle or a jar used to store liquids. In everyday speech you might encounter phrases like bình nước (water bottle) or bình trà (teapot or tea container). The bottle or jar sense is often written with the Chinese character 瓶 for bottle.

As an adjective or element of compound words, bình is connected to ideas of peace, calm, balance, or evenness. These senses come from the Sino-Vietnamese root 平. In common compounds, bình appears in words such as bình an (peaceful, safe), bình yên (calm, serene), bình đẳng (equality), bình tĩnh (calm, composed), and bình thường (normal, ordinary). Another well-known compound is bình minh, referring to dawn or daybreak, and bình luận, meaning commentary or discussion.

Bình is also used as a personal name. It can function as a Vietnamese given name and, less commonly, as a surname. In names, the meaning is often associated with peaceful or balanced imagery, aligning with the broader semantic field of the character.

Etymology and usage notes: the same phonetic form bình can derive from different Chinese characters (for example those linked to container or to peace/balance), leading to polysemy in Vietnamese. Context and accompanying words determine whether bình denotes a container, a state of calm or normality, or participates in a compound with a specific meaning. Overall, bình is a versatile term in Vietnamese with several related but distinct uses.