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bên

Level ≈A1 (approx.) nounprepositionadjective Top 1,000 most common
Hanoi [ʔɓen˧˧]Huế [ʔɓen˧˧]Saigon [ʔɓəːn˧˧] browser voice
Syllables · tones
bênlevelngang

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

bên means side.

Meanings of bên in English

Noun

  1. side (one half of something or someone)
    • bên ngoài đang mưa toit's raining hard outside
  2. side (a line of descent traced through a particular relative)
    • bên nội, bên ngoạifather's side, mother's side
  3. side (a group having a particular allegiance in a conflict or competition)
    • bên địchenemy side
  4. aspect, facet

Preposition

  1. by; beside
    • bên con nướcbeside the stream

Adjective

  1. side, lateral
    • mặt bên của hình chóplateral surface of a pyramid
  2. neighboring
    • làng bênneighboring village

Words with bên

bên cạnhbên ngoàibên nguyên

Example sentences with bên

  • Tôi đang ở bên phe dân chủ. I am on the side of democracy.
  • Cô ta luôn đứng về bên yếu. She always sides with the weak.
  • Tom đã ở bên trong cả ngày. Tom stayed inside all day.
  • Cửa này bị khóa bên trong rồi. This door is locked from the inside.
  • Cái cửa này bị khóa bên trong. This door is locked from the inside.
  • Tom không nghe được một bên tai. Tom is deaf in one ear.
  • Không được cho chó vào bên trong. Keep the dog out.
  • Anh ấy luôn ở bên tôi. He is always with me.

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

Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)

Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, bên could be written as 邊, 邉, 边, 𱖩. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 邊 (“side, edge”, SV: biên).

Frequently asked questions

What does bên mean in English?

bên (noun) means "side".

How do you pronounce bên?

IPA: Hanoi [ʔɓen˧˧]; Saigon [ʔɓəːn˧˧]. Tones: bên — level tone (ngang).

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.