Vietnamese · Food & Drink
Water; country
The liquid essential for life; the same word also means country.
Cho tôi một cốc nước.
A glass of water, please.
'Nước' comes from Proto-Austroasiatic origins, signifying both water and country, illustrating the interconnectedness of nature and national identity in Vietnamese history.
'Nước' is a versatile term used in daily conversation, literature, and cultural discussions, used informally among people but can appear formally in written texts about geography or politics.