Vietnamese · KNLTV Bậc 1 (A1) · Chapter 33
Bạn đi bằng gì?How do you go?
Talking about transport and getting around. Vocabulary: xe buýt, tàu hỏa, tàu điện ngầm, ô tô, xe máy, xe đạp, máy bay, taxi, ga, vé, đi bộ. Key grammar: to say WHAT you travel by, use "đi + bằng + means": "Tôi đi bằng xe buýt" (I go by bus), "Chúng tôi đi bằng tàu hỏa" (we go by train), "Cô ấy đi bằng xe máy" (she goes by motorbike). "Bằng" matches the English "by". The exception is walking: say "đi bộ", NOT "bằng". English speakers, used to "go with / by", tend to use "với" (with) for the means: "đi với xe buýt" ✗ → "đi bằng xe buýt" ✓. Tone corner: "bằng" (huyền), "vé" (sắc), "máy" (sắc).
Dialogue
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đi với xe buýt / đi bằng xe buýt
- NamTom ơi, cậu đi làm bằng gì?Tom, how do you get to work?
- TomTôi đi làm với xe buýt mỗi ngày.I go to work by bus every day. (slip: the means uses "bằng", not "với" → đi bằng xe buýt)
- NamPhương tiện dùng "bằng": "Tôi đi bằng xe buýt".The means uses "bằng": "Tôi đi bằng xe buýt".
- TomÀ, tôi đi làm bằng xe buýt. Chỗ gần thì tôi đi bộ.Ah, I go to work by bus. For nearby places I walk.
- NamChính xác! "bằng" cho phương tiện, "đi bộ" cho đi chân.Exactly! "bằng" for the means, "đi bộ" for going on foot.
- TomHiểu rồi. Mai tôi đi Đà Lạt bằng máy bay!I get it. Tomorrow I go to Đà Lạt by plane!
Dialogue
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Chuyến đi biển— A trip to the beach
- TomLinh ơi, cuối tuần này chúng ta đi Vũng Tàu bằng gì?Linh, how do we get to Vũng Tàu this weekend?
- LinhĐi bằng xe khách nhé. Nhanh và rẻ.Let's go by coach. It is fast and cheap.
- TomChúng ta mua vé ở đâu?Where do we buy the tickets?
- LinhỞ bến xe. Chúng ta đi từ bến xe Miền Đông.At the bus station. We leave from Miền Đông station.
- TomCòn ở Vũng Tàu thì sao? Chúng ta đi biển bằng taxi à?And in Vũng Tàu? Do we go to the beach by taxi?
- LinhBiển gần khách sạn, nên chúng ta đi bộ. Vui lắm!The beach is near the hotel, so we walk. So much fun!
Vocabulary
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- xe buýt
nounbus
- tàu hỏa
nountrain
- tàu điện ngầm
nounsubway
- ô tô
nouncar
- xe máy
nounmotorbike
- xe đạp
nounbicycle
- máy bay
nounaeroplane
- taxi
nountaxi
- ga
nounstation
- vé
nounticket
- đi bộ
verbto walk, go on foot
Grammar
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Means: "đi bằng…"
Explanation
To say what means you travel by, use the formula "đi + bằng + means": "Tôi đi bằng xe buýt" (I go by bus), "Chúng tôi đi bằng tàu hỏa" (we go by train), "Cô ấy đi làm bằng xe máy" (she goes to work by motorbike). "Bằng" here means "by / using", like the English "by". There is only one exception: walking. When you go on your feet, say "đi bộ", NOT "bằng" ("đi bộ đến trường", not "đi bằng chân"). To ask, use "bằng gì?": "Bạn đi bằng gì?" (how do you go?) — "Tôi đi bằng tàu điện ngầm." Typical mistake: English speakers, used to "go with / travel by", tend to use "với" (with) for the means: "đi với xe buýt" ✗. In Vietnamese the means uses "bằng": "đi bằng xe buýt" ✓.
Examples
- Tôi đi làm bằng xe buýt.I go to work by bus.
- Chúng tôi đi Huế bằng tàu hỏa.We go to Huế by train.
- Trường gần, nên tôi đi bộ.The school is near, so I walk.
- Bạn đi sân bay bằng taxi hay tàu điện ngầm?Do you go to the airport by taxi or by subway?
Script & tones
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Thanh điệu của các từ đi lại— Tones of the transport words
Read aloud, hearing the tones clearly:
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