dong

See also: Appendix:Variations of "dong"

Languages (20)

English

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Ambonese Malay • Antigua and Barbuda Creole English • Betawi • Cebuano • Dutch • Hamer-Banna • Hungarian • Indonesian • Jamaican Creole • Mandarin • Middle English • North Moluccan Malay • Norwegian Bokmål • Portuguese • Romanian • Spanish • Vietnamese • Zou • Zyphe

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Page categories

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɒŋ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /dɔŋ/
  • (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /dɑŋ/

• Audio (Australia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒŋ

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Vietnamese đồng, from Middle Chinese 銅 (duwng, “copper”), from Old Chinese 銅 (*doːŋ). Cognate with Mandarin 銅 / 铜 (tóng, “copper”).

Alternative forms

• đồng (uncommon)

Noun

dong (plural dong or dongs)

1. The currency of Vietnam, 100 xus. Symbol: ₫
2. (historical) The currency of South Vietnam, 100 xus. Symbol: Đ.

Translations

currency of Vietnam

• Arabic: دُونْغ m (dunḡ), دُونْج m (dong)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 盾 (zh) (dùn), 越南盾 (zh) (Yuènán dùn), 越盾 (yuèdùn)

• French: dong (fr) m
• German: Dong m
• Greek: ντονγκ (ntongk)
• Hindi: दोंग (doṅg)
• Hungarian: đồng (hu)
• Japanese: ドン (ja) (don)
• Khmer: ដុង (km) (dong)
• Korean: 동(銅) (ko) (dong)
• Lao: ດົ່ງ (dong)
• Malay: dong (ms)
• Portuguese: dong m
• Russian: донг (ru) m (dong)
• Thai: ด่ง (dòng)
• Vietnamese: đồng (vi) (銅 (vi))

currency of South Vietnam

• Portuguese: dong
• Vietnamese: đồng (vi) (銅 (vi))

Etymology 2

Unknown. Perhaps suggested by dingus and other names for unnamable objects; perhaps suggesting of a sound of striking (perhaps the clapper of a bell; compare ding-dong); perhaps there is an element of donkey in it. First attested in the 1890s.

Noun

dong (plural dongs) (originally US)

1. (slang) The penis.
   • 1955, J P Donleavy, The Ginger Man, published 1955 (France), page 344:

     "That American girl was after you too, wasn't she?"
     "She didn't mean anything she said. She was just after your dong. But it's mine."
     "For sure, Mary."

   • 1969, Philip Roth, Portnoy’s Complaint, page 18:

     Nevertheless, I was wholly incapable of keeping my paws from my dong once it started the climb up my belly.

   • 1983, “Penis Song”, in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life:

     Isn't it awfully nice to have a penis?
     Isn't it frightfully good to have a dong?

2. (slang, by extension) A dildo, specifically a synthetic anatomical replica of the penis.
3. (slang) A fool.

Synonyms

• (penis): See Thesaurus:penis.

Derived terms

• dongless
• double dong

Related terms

• ding-dong

Translations

penis

• German: Schwanz (de) m
• Swedish: ballefjong (sv) c

dildo

• German: Dildo (de) m

Etymology 3

Onomatopoeic.

Noun

dong (plural dongs)

1. A low-pitched, metallic ringing sound.

Translations

onomatopoeia for the ringing sound made by a bell with a low pitch — see also ding dong

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 噹 / 当 (zh) (dāng)

• Russian: дон (ru) (don)

Verb

dong (third-person singular simple present dongs, present participle donging, simple past and past participle donged)

1. To make a low-pitched, metallic ringing sound.

Etymology 4

From Korean 동(洞) (dong, “neighborhood”).

Noun

dong (plural dongs)

1. A submunicipal administrative unit of a city in North or South Korea.

See also

• dai pai dong (etymologically unrelated)
• dong quai (etymologically unrelated)

References

• “dong n.¹”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang, Jonathon Green, 2016–present.

Anagrams

• Gond

Ambonese Malay

Etymology

Syncope of dorang.

Pronoun

dong

1. they

References

• D. Takaria, C. Pieter (1998), Kamus Bahasa Melayu Ambon-Indonesia‎^[1], Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa

Antigua and Barbuda Creole English

Adverb

dong

1. down

Betawi

Etymology

Borrowed from French donc (“therefore, thus”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɔŋ/
• Rhymes: -ɔŋ
• Hyphenation: dong

Adverb

dong

1. then; in that case (used to indicate what follows from a situation)
   • 1996 June 3, SM Ardan, “Ah - aduh... wah! [Oh - dear... what!]”, in Mutiara‎^[2], volume 814:

     Wah — same aje dong ame bus biase?!

     [Wah — samè ajè dong amè bus biasè?!]

     What — wouldn't it be the same as regular bus, then?!

   • 2006, Firman Muntaco, “Kesurupan [Possessed]”, in Gambang Jakarte [A Jakartan ensemble], Depok: Masup Jakarta, →ISBN, page 5:

     Kebetulan duren-jatoannyah ora ada lagi! Abis pagimanah dong?

     [Kebetulan durèn jatoannyah ora ada lagi! Abis pagimanah, dong?]

     There just aren't any more tree-dropped durians! So what now, then?

2. of course; surely (used to indicate that something is obvious or expected)
   • 1964 July 19, Si Miun, “Lenggang Djakarté: Ibu2 revolusioner [A Jakartan Stroll: Revolutionary women]”, in Bintang Timur‎^[3] (in Indonesian), columns 3–6, page 3:

     Kudugitudong.^[sic] Masa prempuan ngedjentul alje^[sic] dilobang dapur, dan tongkrongin lakinje! Kite kaum ibu jang repolusioner?!

     [Kudu gitu, dong. Masa prempuan ngejentul ajè di lobang dapur, dan tongkrongin lakinyè! Kitè kaum ibu yang rèpolusionèr?!]

     That's how it should be, of course. Why would a woman just hang around in the kitchen, looking after her husband! We are revolutionary women, aren't we?!

   • 2025, Pupuy Hurriyah, Èh, èh, diĕ sapĕ? [Hey, hey, who is he?]‎^[4], Serang: Kantor Bahasa Provinsi Banten, →ISBN, page 6:

     "Bésok, kitĕ mu jajalin tò dodol. Bólé, Ci’?" si Upit ngarep.
     "Yĕ, bólé, dong, Pit. Pan, nè dodol èmang bakal kitĕ gares barengan bésok," saut Ci’ Maryam sembari ketawĕ.

     "Tomorrow, I want to try that dodol. Can I, Sis?" Upit asked expectantly.
     "Yes, of course you can, Pit. After all, this dodol is for us to eat together tomorrow," Maryam replied with a laugh.

3. come on; please (used to make a request or suggestion more insistent)
   • 1969, Ali Sabeni, Suhaeri Mufti, “Sabeni Djago Tanah Abang [Sabeni the Tanah Abang Hero]”, in Sabeni Djago Tanah Abang‎^[5], performed by Suhaeri Mufti, Jakarta: Diastar, track A1:

     Bagus, lèmpar kaki sebelè. Sabet ke kanan. Deser terus! Tarik lagi! Adu, jangan kaya' orang jantungan, dong!

     Nice, widen your stance to the side. Strike to the right. Keep going! Pull again! Oh dear, come on, don't move like you suffer from heart attack!

Descendants

• → Indonesian: dong

Further reading

• Kähler, H. (1966), “dong”, in Wörterverzeichnis des Omong Djakarta [Glossary of the Jakartan speech] (in German), Berlin: Verlag von Dietrich Reimer, page 48
• Chaer, A. (2009) [1976], “dong”, in Kamus dialek Jakarta [Dictionary of the Jakarta dialect], revised edition (in Indonesian), Depok: Masup Jakarta, →ISBN, page 107

Cebuano

Etymology

Clipping of dodong.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdoŋ/ [ˈd̪oŋ]
• Hyphenation: day

Noun

dong (Badlit spelling ᜇᜓᜅ᜔)

1. (colloquial) common term of address to a boy

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɔŋ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: dong
• Rhymes: -ɔŋ

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch *dong, from Old Dutch *dunga, from Proto-Germanic *dungō. Cognate to English dung.

Noun

dong m (uncountable, no diminutive)

1. (dated, dialectal, Northern) dung, manure

   Synonym: mest

Descendants

• Negerhollands: doeng

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Vietnamese đồng.

Noun

dong m (plural dongs, no diminutive)

1. dong, the currency of Vietnam

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

dong

1. singular past indicative of dingen

Hamer-Banna

Hamar numbers ^(edit)

	50
←  4	5	6  →
Cardinal: dong     Ordinal: dónso

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dónɡ/, [dóŋɡ]

Numeral

dong

1. five (cardinal number)

References

• Petrollino, Sara (2016), A Grammar of Hamar: A South Omotic language of Ethiopia‎^[6], Leiden University

Hungarian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈdoŋɡ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -oŋɡ
• Homophone: đồng

Etymology 1

From an onomatopoeia + -g (frequentative verb-forming suffix).

Verb

dong

1. (intransitive, of an insect) to buzz, bumble, drone
2. (intransitive, of a large hollow object) to boom, rumble, thunder (to make a dull, low-pitched, reverberating sound when hit)

Conjugation

Conjugation of dong

Click for archaic forms			1st person sg	2nd person sg informal	3rd person sg, 2nd p. sg formal	1st person pl	2nd person pl informal	3rd person pl, 2nd p. pl formal
indica­tive	indica­tive	pre­sent	indef.	dongok	dongsz	dong	dongunk	dongtok	dongnak
			def.	intransitive verb, definite forms are not used
			2nd obj
		past	indef.	dongtam	dongtál	dongott	dongtunk	dongtatok	dongtak
			def.	―
			2nd obj
		future		Future is expressed with a present-tense verb with a completion-marking prefix and/or a time adverb, or—more explicitly—with the infinitive plus the conjugated auxiliary verb fog, e.g. dongni fog.
archaic preterite		indef.	dongék	dongál	donga	dongánk	dongátok	dongának
		def.	―
		2nd obj
archaic past		Two additional past tenses: the present and the (current) past forms followed by vala (volt), e.g. dong vala, dongott vala/volt.
archaic future	indef.	dongandok	dongandasz	dongand	dongandunk	dongandotok	dongandanak
	def.	―
	2nd obj
condi­tional	pre­sent	indef.	dongnék	dongnál	dongna	dongnánk	dongnátok	dongnának
		def.	―
		2nd obj
	past		Indicative past forms followed by volna, e.g. dongott volna
sub­junc­tive	sub­junc­tive	pre­sent	indef.	dongjak	dongj or dongjál	dongjon	dongjunk	dongjatok	dongjanak
			def.	―
			2nd obj
(archaic) past		Indicative past forms followed by légyen, e.g. dongott légyen
infinitive	dongni		dongnom	dongnod	dongnia	dongnunk	dongnotok	dongniuk
other forms	verbal noun		present part.	past part.	future part.	adverbial participle		causative
	dongás		dongó	dongott	―	dongva (dongván)

Potential conjugation of dong

Click for archaic forms			1st person sg	2nd person sg informal	3rd person sg, 2nd p. sg formal	1st person pl	2nd person pl informal	3rd person pl, 2nd p. pl formal
indica­tive	indica­tive	pre­sent	indef.	donghatok	donghatsz	donghat	donghatunk	donghattok	donghatnak
			def.	intransitive verb, definite forms are not used
			2nd obj
		past	indef.	donghattam	donghattál	donghatott	donghattunk	donghattatok	donghattak
			def.	―
			2nd obj
archaic preterite		indef.	donghaték	donghatál	donghata	donghatánk	donghatátok	donghatának
		def.	―
		2nd obj
archaic past		Two additional past tenses: the present and the (current) past forms followed by vala (volt), e.g. donghat vala, donghatott vala/volt.
archaic future	indef.	donghatandok or dongandhatok	donghatandasz or dongandhatsz	donghatand or dongandhat	donghatandunk or dongandhatunk	donghatandotok or dongandhattok	donghatandanak or dongandhatnak
	def.	―
	2nd obj
condi­tional	pre­sent	indef.	donghatnék	donghatnál	donghatna	donghatnánk	donghatnátok	donghatnának
		def.	―
		2nd obj
	past		Indicative past forms followed by volna, e.g. donghatott volna
sub­junc­tive	sub­junc­tive	pre­sent	indef.	donghassak	donghass or donghassál	donghasson	donghassunk	donghassatok	donghassanak
			def.	―
			2nd obj
(archaic) past		Indicative past forms followed by légyen, e.g. donghatott légyen
infinitive	(donghatni)		(donghatnom)	(donghatnod)	(donghatnia)	(donghatnunk)	(donghatnotok)	(donghatniuk)
other forms	positive adjective			negative adjective		adverbial participle
	―			―		(donghatva / donghatván)

or

Conjugation of dong

Click for archaic forms			1st person sg	2nd person sg informal	3rd person sg, 2nd p. sg formal	1st person pl	2nd person pl informal	3rd person pl, 2nd p. pl formal
indica­tive	indica­tive	pre­sent	indef.	dongok	dongasz	dong	dongunk	dongotok	donganak
			def.	intransitive verb, definite forms are not used
			2nd obj
		past	indef.	dongottam	dongottál	dongott	dongottunk	dongottatok	dongottak
			def.	―
			2nd obj
		future		Future is expressed with a present-tense verb with a completion-marking prefix and/or a time adverb, or—more explicitly—with the infinitive plus the conjugated auxiliary verb fog, e.g. dongani fog.
archaic preterite		indef.	dongék	dongál	donga	dongánk	dongátok	dongának
		def.	―
		2nd obj
archaic past		Two additional past tenses: the present and the (current) past forms followed by vala (volt), e.g. dong vala, dongott vala/volt.
archaic future	indef.	dongandok	dongandasz	dongand	dongandunk	dongandotok	dongandanak
	def.	―
	2nd obj
condi­tional	pre­sent	indef.	donganék	donganál	dongana	donganánk	donganátok	donganának
		def.	―
		2nd obj
	past		Indicative past forms followed by volna, e.g. dongott volna
sub­junc­tive	sub­junc­tive	pre­sent	indef.	dongjak	dongj or dongjál	dongjon	dongjunk	dongjatok	dongjanak
			def.	―
			2nd obj
(archaic) past		Indicative past forms followed by légyen, e.g. dongott légyen
infinitive	dongani		donganom	donganod	dongania	donganunk	donganotok	donganiuk
other forms	verbal noun		present part.	past part.	future part.	adverbial participle		causative
	dongás		dongó	dongott	―	dongva (dongván)

Potential conjugation of dong

Click for archaic forms			1st person sg	2nd person sg informal	3rd person sg, 2nd p. sg formal	1st person pl	2nd person pl informal	3rd person pl, 2nd p. pl formal
indica­tive	indica­tive	pre­sent	indef.	donghatok	donghatsz	donghat	donghatunk	donghattok	donghatnak
			def.	intransitive verb, definite forms are not used
			2nd obj
		past	indef.	donghattam	donghattál	donghatott	donghattunk	donghattatok	donghattak
			def.	―
			2nd obj
archaic preterite		indef.	donghaték	donghatál	donghata	donghatánk	donghatátok	donghatának
		def.	―
		2nd obj
archaic past		Two additional past tenses: the present and the (current) past forms followed by vala (volt), e.g. donghat vala, donghatott vala/volt.
archaic future	indef.	donghatandok or dongandhatok	donghatandasz or dongandhatsz	donghatand or dongandhat	donghatandunk or dongandhatunk	donghatandotok or dongandhattok	donghatandanak or dongandhatnak
	def.	―
	2nd obj
condi­tional	pre­sent	indef.	donghatnék	donghatnál	donghatna	donghatnánk	donghatnátok	donghatnának
		def.	―
		2nd obj
	past		Indicative past forms followed by volna, e.g. donghatott volna
sub­junc­tive	sub­junc­tive	pre­sent	indef.	donghassak	donghass or donghassál	donghasson	donghassunk	donghassatok	donghassanak
			def.	―
			2nd obj
(archaic) past		Indicative past forms followed by légyen, e.g. donghatott légyen
infinitive	(donghatni)		(donghatnom)	(donghatnod)	(donghatnia)	(donghatnunk)	(donghatnotok)	(donghatniuk)
other forms	positive adjective			negative adjective		adverbial participle
	―			―		(donghatva / donghatván)

Derived terms

• dongás
• dongó

With verbal prefixes

• körüldong

Etymology 2

See đồng.

Noun

dong

1. nonstandard form of đồng (“dong”, the currency of Vietnam; usually used by thousands or higher denominations)

Declension

Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony)

	singular	plural
nominative	dong	dongok
accusative	dongot	dongokat
dative	dongnak	dongoknak
instrumental	donggal	dongokkal
causal-final	dongért	dongokért
translative	donggá	dongokká
terminative	dongig	dongokig
essive-formal	dongként	dongokként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	dongban	dongokban
superessive	dongon	dongokon
adessive	dongnál	dongoknál
illative	dongba	dongokba
sublative	dongra	dongokra
allative	donghoz	dongokhoz
elative	dongból	dongokból
delative	dongról	dongokról
ablative	dongtól	dongoktól
non-attributive possessive – singular	dongé	dongoké
non-attributive possessive – plural	dongéi	dongokéi

Possessive forms of dong

possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	dongom	dongjaim
2nd person sing.	dongod	dongjaid
3rd person sing.	dongja	dongjai
1st person plural	dongunk	dongjaink
2nd person plural	dongotok	dongjaitok
3rd person plural	dongjuk	dongjaik

Further reading

• dong in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.
• dong in Nóra Ittzés, editor, A magyar nyelv nagyszótára [A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published a–ez as of 2026).

Indonesian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɔŋ/
• Hyphenation: dong
• Rhymes: -dɔŋ, -ɔŋ, -ŋ

Etymology 1

From Betawi dong, from French donc (“therefore, thus”).

Adverb

dong

1. (colloquial) please: used to make a polite request

   Synonym: atuh

   Harga Bensin Pertalite Jangan Naik Dong. ― Please, don't raise the Pertalite Petrol Price.

2. (colloquial) indicates a strong command
3. (colloquial) indicates discord between words and actions

Alternative forms

• donk

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Vietnamese đồng, from Middle Chinese 銅 (duwng, “copper”), from Old Chinese 銅 (*doːŋ). Cognate with Mandarin 銅 / 铜 (tóng, “copper”).

Noun

dong

1. the currency of Vietnam, 100 xus. Symbol: ₫

Further reading

• “dong”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Jamaican Creole

Etymology

Derived from English down. Compare Belizean Creole dong.

Adverb

dong

1. down
   • 2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Aks 7:15:

     So Jiekob imself go dong a Iijip, an im an wi faada faada dem liv dong de til dem ded.

     So Jacob went down to Egypt where he and our fathers lived til they died.

Further reading

• dong at majstro.com

Mandarin

Romanization

dong

1. nonstandard spelling of dōng
2. nonstandard spelling of dǒng
3. nonstandard spelling of dòng

Usage notes

• Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Middle English

Noun

dong

1. alternative form of donge (“dung”)

North Moluccan Malay

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɔŋ/

Pronoun

dong

1. short for dorang

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Clipping of kordong, itself possibly a corruption of kondom

Noun

dong m (definite singular dongen, indefinite plural donger, definite plural dongene)

1. (slang) condom

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈdõ.ɡi/, /ˈdõɡ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /dõˈɡi/

• Hyphenation: dong

Noun

dong m (plural dongs)

1. dong (currency of Vietnam)

Further reading

• “dong”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French dong.

Noun

dong m (plural dongi)

1. dong (currency)

Declension

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	dong	dongul	dongi	dongii
genitive-dative	dong	dongului	dongi	dongilor
vocative	dongule		dongilor

References

• dong in Academia Română, Micul dicționar academic, ediția a II-a, Bucharest: Univers Enciclopedic, 2010. →ISBN

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdon/ [ˈd̪õn]
• Rhymes: -on
• Syllabification: dong

Noun

dong m (plural dongs)

1. dong (currency)

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [zawŋ͡m˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [jawŋ͡m˧˧] ~ [jɔŋ˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [jawŋ͡m˧˧]

Etymology 1

Verb

dong • (𢫝)

1. to drive; to escort

Etymology 2

Attested as deaong in the Flora Cochinchinensis (1790, "Flora of Cochinchina").

Noun

dong • (容) (classifier cây)

1. Phrynium placentarium

Derived terms

• dong riềng

Zou

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dòŋ]
• Hyphenation: dong

Verb

dòng (stem II dòh)

1. (transitive) to ask

References

• Philip Thangliènmâng (2010), Minimal dictionary and Self-tutor Functional Grammar in Zo-English-Hindi, New Delhi: Zoculsin, →ISBN, page 82
• Lukram Himmat Singh (2013), A Descriptive Grammar of Zou (PhD thesis), Canchipur: Manipur University, page 63

Zyphe

Noun

dong

1. cubit

Verb

dong

1. to poke, to prick

References

• Samson Alexander Lotven (2021) The Sound Systems of Zophei Dialects and Other Maraic Languages (Dissertation)‎^[7]