Vietnamese – English – Chinese textile glossary
The same goods go by different names in different places. The table below helps you match Vietnamese terms with English and Chinese when dealing with Vietnamese suppliers and buyers.
Type of stock
| English | Vietnamese | Chinese | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadstock fabric / surplus fabric / stock lot | Vải tồn kho | 库存布 / 尾货布料 | Unused fabric left over after production, cancelled orders or past seasons. |
| Fabric roll / fabric bolt | Vải cây / vải cuộn | 整卷布 / 布卷 | Fabric still wound on its paper or plastic core, as it left the mill. |
| Roll end / partial roll | Vải cuộn dở / đầu cây | 剩余布卷 / 尾卷 | A roll that has been partly cut, with some metres still left. |
| Fabric remnants / short lengths | Vải khúc / vải lỡ | 布头 / 零码布 | Short pieces, usually from half a metre to a few metres, still usable for sewing. |
| Fabric scraps / cutting waste / textile waste | Vải vụn | 碎布 / 裁剪边角料 | Small offcuts left after cutting patterns, usually sold by weight for recycling or rags. |
| Defective fabric / seconds / B-grade fabric | Vải lỗi | 次品布 / 瑕疵布 | Fabric with colour, weaving or printing faults that failed quality control. |
| Past-season fabric / sample yardage | Vải qua thời / vải lưu mẫu | 过季布 / 留样布 | Out-of-fashion colours or prints, or fabric kept for samples and no longer needed. |
| Stock clearance / inventory liquidation | Thanh lý kho | 清仓 / 库存清理 | Selling a whole warehouse of leftover stock in one go to free up space and cash. |
| Garment factory surplus / overstock fabric | Vải dư xưởng may | 服装厂剩余布料 | Fabric left after a garment order is finished, usually from over-ordering against consumption. |
| Garment trims / accessories | Phụ liệu may mặc | 服装辅料 | Thread, buttons, zippers, elastic, tapes, labels and other sewing supplies. |
| Bale / sealed bundle | Đai kiện | 布包 / 打包件 | Fabric still in the mill's original wrapping and straps, which usually keeps the best value. |
Fabric materials
| English | Vietnamese | Chinese | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton fabric | Vải cotton | 棉布 / 全棉布 | Natural cotton fibre; breathable, used for T-shirts, shirts and children's wear. |
| Poly-cotton shirting (TC fabric) | Vải kate | 涤棉布（TC布） | Polyester–cotton blend, low-wrinkle, common for shirts and uniforms. |
| Knit fabric / jersey | Vải thun | 针织布 / 汗布 | Stretchy knitted fabric: cotton jersey, piqué, 4-way stretch, cooling knit… |
| Khaki / twill fabric | Vải kaki | 卡其布 / 斜纹布 | Thick twill weave that holds its shape; used for trousers, uniforms and jackets. |
| Denim fabric | Vải jean | 牛仔布 | Indigo-dyed cotton twill used for jeans and denim garments. |
| Linen fabric | Vải linen (lanh) | 亚麻布 | Natural flax fibre; cool and airy, with a characteristic crease. |
| Nylon taffeta / parachute fabric | Vải dù | 尼龙布 / 降落伞布 | Thin nylon or polyester, lightly water-resistant; used for windbreakers and bags. |
| Taffeta / lining fabric | Vải tafta | 塔夫绸 / 里布 | Smooth, shiny plain weave, mostly used as garment and bag lining. |
| Polyester fabric | Vải polyester | 涤纶布 | Durable, low-wrinkle synthetic fibre; inexpensive and very widely used. |
| Rayon / viscose fabric | Vải rayon (lanh lụa, mango) | 人造棉 / 粘胶布 | Regenerated cellulose fibre; soft, drapey and cool. Sold in Vietnam as 'lanh lụa' or 'mango' fabric. |
| Silk fabric | Vải lụa | 丝绸 | Natural silk or artificial silk; lustrous and soft. |
| Canvas / plain cotton duck | Vải thô / canvas | 帆布 / 粗布 | Heavy, stiff plain weave used for bags, shoes and curtains. |
Specifications & condition
| English | Vietnamese | Chinese | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabric width | Khổ vải | 门幅 / 布幅 | The width of the fabric, usually 1.2–1.6 m; standard widths resell more easily. |
| Fabric weight / GSM | Định lượng | 克重 | Weight per square metre (g/m²), showing how heavy or light the fabric is. |
| Fibre composition | Thành phần | 成分 | The mix of fibres, printed on the roll label (e.g. 65% polyester, 35% cotton). |
| Roll label / roll tag | Nhãn đầu cây | 布卷标签 | The sticker on the roll showing item code, composition, width and length — key for a quote. |
| Shade variation / off-shade | Lệch màu | 色差 | Colour that is uneven between rolls or within the same roll. |
| Weaving defect / fabric fault | Lỗi dệt | 织疵 | Broken or missing yarns, slubs, or streaks made during weaving. |
| Fabric consumption allowance | Định mức vải | 用料定额 | Fabric budgeted per garment; factories over-order to cover wastage, which creates surplus. |
| Sold by weight (per kg) | Bán theo ký | 按公斤卖 | The usual pricing for scraps, small remnants and mixed lots. |
| Sold by the metre | Bán theo mét | 按米卖 | Pricing for long, uniform rolls with clear labels. |
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