Looking up...
thời gian
/tʰəːj˨˩ zaːn˧/
time
Thời gian trôi nhanh quá!
Time passes too quickly!
general
The indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.
Chúng ta nên tận dụng thời gian để học tập.
We should make good use of our time to study.
Thời gian là vàng bạc.
Time is gold.
Commonly used in both abstract and concrete contexts to refer to the passage of time or the amount of time available.
general
A point or period when something occurs.
Vào thời gian rảnh, tôi thích đọc sách.
In my free time, I like to read books.
Often used with prepositions like 'vào' (at/during) or 'trong' (in) to specify a time period.
Collocations
thời gian rảnhfree timethời gian trôitime passesthời gian biểuscheduletiết kiệm thời giansave timemất thời giantake time (negatively)
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Distinguish 'thời gian' from 'thời tiết'
'thời gian' means 'time' (abstract), while 'thời tiết' means 'weather' (concrete). They are often confused by learners due to similar structure.
Gold Rule
Use 'thời gian' for abstract time
Always use 'thời gian' when referring to the concept of time itself, not specific moments or durations. For example, 'Tôi không có thời gian' (I don’t have time) vs. 'Vào lúc 5 giờ' (At 5 o’clock).
Word Origin
Compound of 'thời' (time, era) + 'gian' (interval, space), both from Classical Chinese '時' (shí) and '間' (jiān).
Usage Notes
Used universally in Vietnamese to refer to time in both formal and informal contexts. Often paired with verbs like 'trôi' (pass), 'dành' (spend), or 'lãng phí' (waste).
Word Breakdown
thời
time, era
rootgian
interval, space
rootTừ Điển Việt Anh