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đi lại

Level ≈B1 (approx.) verb Top 3,000 most common
Hanoi [ʔɗi˧˧ laːj˧˨ʔ]Huế [ʔɗɪj˧˧ laːj˨˩ʔ]Saigon [ʔɗɪj˧˧ laːj˨˩˨] browser voice
Syllables · tones
đilevelnganglạiheavynặng

Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →

đi lại means to go back and forth.

Meanings of đi lại in English

Verb

  1. to go back and forth; to go from here to there (generally speaking)
  2. to visit a close person frequently
  3. vulgar to engage in sexual intercourse ≈ giao hợp

Example sentences with đi lại

  • Tom thường đi lại bằng xe máy. Tom usually travels by motorcycle.
  • Rồi anh ta sẽ sớm đi lại được. He'll soon be about again.
  • Tom ít khi đi lại. Tom seldom travels.
  • Nhóm du lịch đã đi lại bằng xe khách. The tour group travelled in a coach.
  • Con đường này không có nhiều xe đi lại. There is not much traffic on this road.
  • Tôi có thể nghe thấy tiếng mọi người đi lại trên lầu. I could hear people moving about upstairs.

Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).

Etymology

đi + lại.

Frequently asked questions

What does đi lại mean in English?

đi lại (verb) means "to go back and forth".

How do you pronounce đi lại?

IPA: Hanoi [ʔɗi˧˧ laːj˧˨ʔ]; Saigon [ʔɗɪj˧˧ laːj˨˩˨]. Tones: đi — level tone (ngang), lại — heavy tone (nặng).

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited; example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). IPA shown for three accents: Hanoi (Northern), Huế (Central) and Saigon (Southern). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice, for reference only. Levels are approximate, estimated from word frequency. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.