địa ngục

Sino-Vietnamese word from 地獄, composed of 地 (“earth”) and 獄 (“prison”).

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɗiə˧˨ʔ ŋʊwk͡p̚˧˨ʔ]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɗiə˨˩ʔ ŋʊwk͡p̚˨˩ʔ]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ʔɗiə˨˩˨ ŋʊwk͡p̚˨˩˨]

địa ngục

1. hell (abode for the condemned)

   xuống địa ngục ― to go to hell

   địa ngục trần gian ― hell on earth

   bị đày xuống 18 tầng địa ngục ― to be exiled to the 18 levels in hell [and suffer all sorts of torment for eternity]

• Although this word corresponds quite nicely to the concept of "hell" (as in Abrahamic religions), in certain situations, a Vietnamese speaker would rather use instead âm phủ in place where an English speaker would say hell.

• luyện ngục
• thiên đường
• âm phủ