toàn

Toàn is a Vietnamese word most commonly used as an adjective meaning complete, whole, or total. It appears in many expressions to indicate inclusiveness or comprehensiveness, and it can function as a modifier in a range of formal and informal contexts.

Etymology and usage: The term is the Sino-Vietnamese reading of the Chinese character 全, which in Mandarin is quán and carries the sense of “whole” or “complete.” In Vietnamese, toàn conveys the idea of entirety and is widely used in compounds to express broad scope or completeness.

Common formations and meanings: Several well-known phrases include toàn diện (comprehensive, all-encompassing), toàn bộ (the whole, entire), toàn quốc (the entire country), toàn dân (the entire people), and toàn thể (the whole body or group). Other phrases such as toàn quyền (plenipotentiary powers) emphasize full or complete authority. The word often appears in both everyday language and formal discourse to stress totality.

Name usage: Toàn is primarily a Vietnamese given name, typically masculine, and may appear as part of longer given names. It is less commonly used as a surname. In contemporary usage, the word can also appear in organizational or slogan contexts to convey fullness or completeness.

Notes: Vietnamese diacritics are essential for meaning; toàn is pronounced with the appropriate huyền tone on the a. As a lexical item, toàn functions across a wide range of compounds and remains a key term for expressing wholeness in Vietnamese.