xe hai bánh

Vietnamese

Etymology

xe (“vehicle”) +‎ hai (“two”) +‎ bánh (“wheel”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [sɛ˧˧ haːj˧˧ ʔɓajŋ̟˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [sɛ˧˧ haːj˧˧ ʔɓɛɲ˦˧˥]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [sɛ˧˧ haːj˧˧ ʔɓan˦˥]

Noun

xe hai bánh

1. (chiefly law) a two-wheeled vehicle such as a bicycle or motorcycle, as opposed to a three-wheeled one such as a rickshaw or a four-wheeled one such as a car or a truck, that is allowed on certain roads or to run certain red lights

   Xe hai bánh được phép vượt đèn đỏ bất cứ khi nào ở ngã tư này, nhưng chỉ được phép vượt đèn đỏ khi rẽ phải ở ngã tư kia.

   Two-wheelers are allowed to run red lights at any time at this crossroads, but only when they make a right turn at the other crossroads.