The vehicles
| Vietnamese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| xe máy | motorbike | the backbone of Vietnamese traffic |
| xe ôm | motorbike taxi | literally 'hugging vehicle' — you ride pillion |
| taxi | taxi | |
| xe buýt | city bus | |
| xe khách | intercity coach | |
| tàu | train | |
| tàu hỏa | train (northern) | |
| xe lửa | train (southern) | regional variant — same meaning |
| tàu điện ngầm | subway / metro | |
| máy bay | airplane | |
| đi bộ | to walk |
tàu hỏa (N) and xe lửa (S) both mean 'train' — a regional vocabulary pair worth recognizing, not mixing. The audio uses the northern model.
Stations and terminals
| Vietnamese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ga | train station | |
| bến xe | bus terminal / coach station | |
| sân bay | airport | |
| trạm xe buýt | bus stop | |
| cổng | gate | |
| lối vào | entrance | |
| lối ra | exit | |
| quầy vé | ticket counter | |
| kéo | to pull | |
| đẩy | to push |
Buying tickets
| Vietnamese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| vé | ticket | |
| Cho tôi một vé đi… | One ticket to…, please | |
| vé một chiều | one-way ticket | |
| vé khứ hồi | round-trip ticket | |
| Có chuyến mấy giờ? | What departure times are there? | |
| Còn chỗ không? | Are there seats left? | |
| ghế ngồi | seat | |
| giường nằm | sleeper berth (trains/buses) | |
| Tàu này mấy giờ đến? | What time does this train arrive? | |
| Bao nhiêu tiền? | How much is it? |
Sleeper options exist on long routes — giường nằm gets you a berth on overnight trains and coaches.
Taxis and ride-hailing
| Vietnamese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bao nhiêu? | How much? | |
| Đi đến… được không? | Can you go to…? | |
| Cho tôi đến… | Take me to… | |
| Đi theo đồng hồ nhé | Go by the meter, please | đồng hồ = the meter |
| Bớt được không? | Can you lower it? | |
| Cho tôi xuống ở đây | Let me off here | to the driver |
| Chờ tôi ở đây nhé | Please wait for me here | |
| Đi thẳng | Go straight | |
| Rẽ trái | Turn left | northern — S: quẹo trái |
| Rẽ phải | Turn right | northern — S: quẹo phải |
| Gần đây thôi | It's near here |
Show the destination written in Vietnamese on your phone — pronunciation doesn't need to be perfect.
Getting there
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| Ga ở đâu? | Where is the station? |
| Bến xe ở đâu? | Where is the bus terminal? |
| Làm sao để đến sân bay? | How do I get to the airport? |
| đi thẳng | go straight |
| rẽ trái / rẽ phải | turn left / turn right (S: quẹo) |
| ngã tư | intersection |
| đèn giao thông | traffic light |
| ở đâu | where |
| gần | near |
| xa | far |
| Bao lâu? | How long does it take? |
| Tôi bị lạc | I'm lost |
Summary
xe máy/xe ôm for motorbikes, xe buýt/bến xe for buses, ga + tàu hỏa(N)/xe lửa(S) for trains, Cho tôi đến… + Đi theo đồng hồ for taxis, and rẽ trái/phải for directions. That's the course — you now have pronunciation, tones, grammar, and the vocabulary for a real trip. Review hub: Learn Vietnamese.
Mini practice
Q1. 'xe máy' is…
- a taxi
- a motorbike
- a bus
Answer: a motorbike
Q2. 'xe ôm' literally means…
- fast vehicle
- hugging vehicle — a motorbike taxi
- family car
Answer: hugging vehicle — a motorbike taxi
Q3. 'xe lửa' is the ___ word for 'train'.
- northern
- southern
- formal
Answer: southern
Q4. 'bến xe' is…
- a train station
- a bus terminal
- an airport
Answer: a bus terminal
Q5. 'Đi theo đồng hồ nhé' asks for…
- the meter
- the schedule
- the ticket
Answer: the meter
