lái

Level ≈A2 (approx.) verbnounnumeral Top 1,000 most common

Hanoi [laːj˧˦]Huế [laːj˨˩˦]Saigon [laːj˦˥] browser voice

Syllables · tones

láirisingsắc

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

lái means to control; to drive; to ride.

Meanings of lái in English

Verb

to control; to drive, to ride, to steer, to pilot, etc.
- lái xeto drive a car
colloquial to digress, to sidetrack, or to put one's own spin on
- Đừng có mà từ chuyện này lái qua chuyện khác.Don't you sidetrack to other things when we have this to discuss.

Noun

steering wheel; steering control — rudder ≈ tay lái
steering wheel; steering control — aft; the stern portion of a boat ≈ tay lái đuôi tếch
colloquial used to refer to a merchant or trader
abbreviation, colloquial ellipsis of lái xe (“driver”) or lái đò (“boatman”)

Verb

not used in isolation, of pronunciation to "switch" around sounds

Numeral

Words with lái

bánh lái lái xe lèo lái tay lái nói lái lái tim

Example sentences with lái

Sami đã lái chiếc xe máy đó. Sami was riding that motorbike.
Tom không biết lái ô tô. Tom is not able to drive a car.
Sami đang lái chiếc xe đó. Sami was riding that motorbike.
Tom đã dạy tôi cách lái ô tô. Tom taught me how to drive.
Bạn tốt nhất là đừng lái ô tô. You had better not drive a car.
Tom đã dạy Mary cách lái ô tô. Tom taught Mary how to drive.
Anh ấy lái một chiếc xe tải tàn tạ. He drives a breakdown lorry.
Bạn lái ô tô không được giỏi cho lắm. You don't drive very well.

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, lái could be written as 梩. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

Derived from Old Chinese 舵 (OC *lˤajʔ) (B-S) (SV: đà).

Frequently asked questions

What does lái mean in English?

lái (verb) means "to control; to drive; to ride".

How do you pronounce lái?

IPA: Hanoi [laːj˧˦]; Saigon [laːj˦˥]. Tones: lái — rising tone (sắc).

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.