# kém meaning in Vietnamese: weak (A1)

> kém means “weak, poor” in Vietnamese. Examples with audio.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/kem-weak/ · Updated 2026-10-31

**kém**: weak

Level: A1 (our estimate)

Typed without accents: kem

## 1. weak (adjective)

weak, poor, not good (at)

People often say it modestly about themselves: *tiếng Việt em còn kém*, my Vietnamese is still poor.

- Em kém môn toán lắm. — I'm really bad at math.
- Mắt bà em kém rồi. — My grandma's eyesight is poor now.

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