xoay xở

Level ≈B2 (approx.) verb Top 5,000 most common

Hanoi [swaj˧˧ səː˧˩]Huế [swaj˧˧ səː˧˨]Saigon [s⁽ʷ⁾aj˧˧ səː˨˩˦] browser voice

Syllables · tones

xoaylevelngang xởdippinghỏi

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

xoay xở means to manage; to fend for oneself.

Meanings of xoay xở in English

Verb

to manage (to do something); to fend for oneself

Example sentences with xoay xở

Tôi cuối cùng đã xoay xở trốn thoát được. I finally managed to escape.
Cuối cùng tôi đã xoay xở làm được điều đó. I finally managed to do that.
Tom đã xoay xở lái được xe hơi về nhà, thậm chí dù nó bị xẹp lốp. Tom managed to drive the car home, even though it had a flat tire.

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

Etymology

xoay + (now obsolete except in certain dialects such as Thanh Hoá) xở.

Frequently asked questions

What does xoay xở mean in English?

xoay xở (verb) means "to manage; to fend for oneself".

How do you pronounce xoay xở?

IPA: Hanoi [swaj˧˧ səː˧˩]; Saigon [s⁽ʷ⁾aj˧˧ səː˨˩˦]. Tones: xoay — level tone (ngang), xở — dipping tone (hỏi).

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.