Which word retains its original meaning even without the accent mark?

A seemingly simple Vietnamese riddle has left many people thinking: Which word retains its meaning even when the accent mark is removed?

Teachers and students at Hoang Mai Primary School. Illustration photo: Dinh Ha.

Vietnamese is known for its rich tonal system; changing just one tone mark can completely alter the meaning of a word. Therefore, the riddle "Which word retains its original meaning even without the rising tone mark?" has sparked curiosity and debate among many.

The answer is the word "Tứ". When the accent mark is removed, this word becomes "tư".

According to the Vietnamese Dictionary (Hoang Phe Dictionary) , "tứ" and "tư" both mean four.

However, in terms of usage, the word "tứ" (four) is usually used before nouns, with very limited combinations, and is only used for counting. For example, "tứ mùa" (four seasons), "tứ chi" (four limbs)...

The word "tư" is usually used after nouns and some verbs, not for counting. For example, "fourth place," "April," "fold a piece of paper in quarters," "one-quarter," etc.

Source: https://znews.vn/tu-nao-bo-dau-sac-van-giu-nguyen-nghia-post1656013.html