giờ
[zəː˨˩]
The English phrase "hours" is translated into Vietnamese as giờ.
giờ is used to describe a unit of time equal to sixty minutes. When you want to emphasize the duration of time, such as saying something lasted "for many hours," Vietnamese speakers often use the phrase tiếng đồng hồ instead of just giờ. Additionally, the phrase Giờ kém can be used to mean "minus" or "to" when telling time.
Which one should you use?
The word giờ serves two purposes: it can refer to a duration of an hour and it is used to indicate a specific time on the clock, such as "2 o'clock."
Did you know?
- In traditional Vietnamese culture, the 'hour' was once divided into two-hour blocks, meaning giờ didn't always mean sixty minutes.
- While giờ means 'hour', the word tiếng also means 'sound' or 'voice', creating a homonym that can confuse beginners.
- While giờ is standard, if you travel to Central Vietnam, you might hear locals use the word chừ to refer to time or periods.
Examples in context
- Tôi làm việc nhiều giờ như Tom.I work as many hours as Tom does.This sentence is useful for describing working many giờ.Tatoeba #11371139 by chaule3, translation #8842287 by CK
- Học sinh có 32 giờ học một tuần.The students have 32 class hours a week.This sentence is useful for mentioning a number of class giờ per week.Tatoeba #13879123 by leucammieuvu, translation #13878524 by rul
- Cô ấy dành hàng giờ mơ mộng về anh ấy.She spent hours fantasizing about him.This sentence is useful for describing spending many giờ doing something.Tatoeba #13870225 by leucammieuvu, translation #13868896 by Nuel
- mười hai giờ ba mươi trưa12:30
- ba giờ chiều3:00 in the afternoon
- tám giờ tối8:00 at night
- hai giờ sáng2:00 am
- Tám giờ bốn mươi lăm sáng.8:45 AM
- Sáu giờ mười lăm chiều.6:15 PM
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mai and Nam are discussing their study schedules.
- MaiNam học bao nhiêu giờ một ngày?How many hours a day do you study, Nam?
- NamTôi học khoảng năm giờ mỗi ngày.I study for about five hours every day.
- MaiNăm giờ là quá nhiều rồi đó.Five hours is already too many.
- NamTôi muốn đạt điểm cao nên cố gắng.I want to get high marks, so I try hard.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry giờ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
