ô tô
[ʔo˧˧ to˧˧]
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A car, automobile — the usual Northern word (from French auto); Southerners say xe hơi.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Xe bốn bánh chạy máy — cách gọi quen thuộc miền Bắc (gốc tiếng Pháp auto); trong Nam nói xe hơi.
Noun
Where it’s used:
Used
Miền Bắc · Northern Vietnam
Examples
kĩ thuật ô tôautomotive engineering
Nhà bác ấy vừa mua ô tô mới để về quê ăn Tết.Their family just bought a new car for the Tết trip home.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31)
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “ô tô” mean?
A car, automobile — the usual Northern word (from French auto); Southerners say xe hơi.
Is “ô tô” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
What is the closest equivalent?
“xe hơi” (Tiếng Việt) — same meaning · other region.