xe hơi
[sɛ˧˧ həːj˧˧]
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A car, automobile — the Southern word; Northerners say ô tô.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Xe bốn bánh chạy máy — từ miền Nam; ngoài Bắc gọi là ô tô.
Noun
Where it’s used:
Used
Miền Nam · Southern Vietnam
More common
Người Việt hải ngoại · Vietnamese diaspora
Used
miền Nam trước 1975 · Pre-1975 South Vietnam
• Southern/diaspora “xe hơi” vs the now-standard “ô tô”.
Examples
Ảnh mới mua chiếc xe hơi cũ để chạy đi làm.He just bought a used car to drive to work.
Editorial example (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “xe hơi” mean?
A car, automobile — the Southern word; Northerners say ô tô.
Is “xe hơi” 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?
“ô tô” (Tiếng Việt) — same meaning · other region.