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biển
/bjᵊn/
sea
Tôi thích đi du lịch đến biển.
I like to travel to the sea.
general
A large body of salt water that covers most of the Earth's surface.
Biển có nhiều loài cá và sinh vật biển khác.
The sea has many kinds of fish and other marine creatures.
The word 'biển' is commonly used to refer to the ocean or sea in Vietnamese.
general
A large body of water, such as a lake or a sea, that is not part of the ocean.
Biển Dead có nước rất mặn.
The Dead Sea has very salty water.
This usage is less common but can refer to large inland bodies of water.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Usage in Geography
'Biển' is commonly used to refer to the sea or ocean in Vietnamese geography, such as 'biển Đông' (East Sea) or 'biển Tây' (West Sea).
Gold Rule
Capitalization
In Vietnamese, 'biển' is not capitalized unless it is part of a proper noun, such as 'Biển Đông' (East Sea).
Word Origin
The word 'biển' comes from the Sino-Vietnamese word 'biên' (邊), meaning 'edge' or 'border,' originally referring to the edge of the land where the sea begins.
Usage Notes
In Vietnamese, 'biển' is often used to refer to the ocean or sea, and it can also be used in expressions like 'biển cả' (the open sea) or 'biển Đông' (the East Sea).
Word Breakdown
biển
sea
rootTừ Điển Việt Anh