trong
[t͡ɕawŋ͡m˧˧]
The English phrase 'in' can be translated into Vietnamese using trong, ở or tại.
Meaning: contained by (prep)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| trong | [t͡ɕawŋ͡m˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʈawŋ͡m˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
| ở | [ʔəː˧˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔəː˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
| tại | [taːj˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, narrow) [taːj˨˩ʔ] (Huế, narrow) |
The preposition trong is used to emphasize that something is physically contained within the boundaries of an object, like a box or a room. For general presence or being 'at' or 'in' a location like a city or a country, use ở.
Which one should you use?
The word trong specifically implies being inside a three-dimensional space or container, whereas ở and tại are more general prepositions for location. While ở is the most common way to express being 'at' or 'in' a location, tại is often used to specify a precise point or event location.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Tom chết ở Úc.Tom died in Australia.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use ở to express being in a country.Tatoeba #13608448 by leucammieuvu, translation #5149965 by CK
- Tôi sống ở Paris.I live in Paris.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use ở to express being in a city.Tatoeba #11318132 by chaule3, translation #11318130 by chaule3
- Tôi đã ở trên núiI was in the mountains.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use ở to express being in a location like the mountains.Tatoeba #12528554 by thanhcona40, translation #1290 by CK
- Trong sáchIn the book
- Trong phòngIn the room
- Ở trong nhàIn the house
- Ở trong công tyIn the company
- Ở bên trong hộpInside the box
- Ở bên trong tôiInside me
- Cái bút nằm trong đóThe pen is in there
- Có tiền trong túiThere is money in the pocket
- Sách đang ở trong túi tôi.The book is in my bag.
- Nhân viên đang làm việc trong phòng họp.The staff is working in the meeting room.
- Quyển sổ nằm trong tủ sách.The notebook is in the bookshelf.
- Hóa đơn ở trong đó.The bill is in there.
- 963 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tuấn and Chi are looking for a gift in a small shop.
- TuấnChi ơi, có quà trong hộp này không?Chi, is there a gift in this box?
- ChiKhông, chỉ có một chiếc nhẫn trong đó thôi.No, there is only a ring in there.
- TuấnỒ, chiếc nhẫn trong hộp thật đẹp.Oh, the ring in the box is beautiful.
- ChiAnh có muốn mua nó không?Do you want to buy it?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “in” translations and entries trong, ở, tại, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries trong, tại, ở, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
