A Tale of Two Cities — Page 1

Vocabulary

Xe

Vehicle, car, or wheeled transport

Thư

Letter, mail, or written correspondence

Đó

That, there; demonstrative pronoun indicating something nearby

là

To be; links subject to predicate

con

Child; classifier for animals and certain objects

đường

Road, street, or path

trải

To spread out, extend, or stretch across

dài

Long in length or duration

vào

To enter; into; used to indicate going inside

một

One; the number one; an indefinite article

đêm

Night; the period of darkness

thứ

Ordinal marker; used before numbers for order

Sáu

Six; the number six

cuối

End, last; the final part of something

tháng

Month; a unit of time

Mười

Ten; also used in month names like October

Một

One; used here as part of November (tháng Mười Một)

trước

Before, in front of, prior to

mặt

Face; surface; front side of something

người

Person, human being, people

đầu

Head; beginning; first

tiên

First; fairy; used in 'đầu tiên' meaning first

trong

In, inside, within a place or group

số

Number; quantity; fate or destiny

những

Plural marker for nouns; those, these

nhân

Person; character; human; factor

vật

Thing, object, creature; character in a story

mà

That, which; conjunction linking clauses

câu

Sentence; classifier for sentences and questions

chuyện

Story, tale, matter, or conversation

này

This; demonstrative pronoun for nearby things

có

To have; there is/are; exists

liên

To connect, relate, or link together

quan

To relate to; concern; official or officer

Con

Child; classifier for animals and roads

ra

To go out; emerge; directional verb outward

đối

Opposite, facing, toward; to deal with

với

With; together with; toward someone

ông

Mister, grandfather; respectful term for older man

ta

We, us; or informal pronoun for oneself

ở

To be at; to live; indicates location

phía

Side, direction, toward a particular direction

bên

Side; beside; next to something or someone

kia

That over there; the other side

xe

Vehicle, carriage; means of wheeled transport

thư

Mail, letter; postal correspondence

khi

When, at the time that something occurs

chiếc

Classifier for vehicles, objects that come singly

nặng

Heavy; having great weight

nề

Suffix intensifying heaviness; laboriously heavy

leo

To climb, ascend upward

lên

Up, upward; directional verb going upward

dốc

Slope, incline, hill to climb

Ông

He, him; respectful term for an older man

lội

To wade through water, mud, or difficult terrain

bùn

Mud, mire; wet dirty earth

đi

To go; to walk; directional movement verb

bộ

On foot; to walk; set or unit

cạnh

Beside, next to; edge or side of something

cũng

Also, too, as well; similarly

như

Like, as, similar to something

hành

To travel; action; passenger; conduct

khách

Guest, passenger, customer, visitor

còn

Still, remaining; yet; also

lại

Again; remaining; stay back; directional back

không

No, not; negation word in Vietnamese

phải

Must, have to; right, correct

vì

Because, for the reason that

họ

They, them; third person plural pronoun

chút

A little, a bit; small amount of something

hứng

Interest, enthusiasm; to catch or receive

thú

Interesting, enjoyable; interest or hobby

nào

Any, which; question or indefinite word

việc

Work, task, matter, affair

hoàn

Complete, whole; to return or restore

cảnh

Scene, situation, circumstance, condition

đó

That, there; referring to something previously mentioned

dây

Rope, string, wire, cord

cương

Reins; principle; firm and unyielding

lầy

Muddy, boggy, mired in mud

và

And; connecting words or clauses

đều

All, both, equally; every one of them

đến

To arrive, reach; until; to the point of

mức

Level, degree, extent of something

ngựa

Horse; equine animal used for transport

đã

Past tense marker; already, have done

dừng

To stop, halt, pause movement

ba

Three; the number three

lần

Time, occasion; number of times something happens

thậm

Even; used in 'thậm chí' meaning even, moreover

chí

Even; will, determination; used in 'thậm chí'

kéo

To pull, drag, tow something

ngang

Across, horizontal; stubborn, contrary

qua

To pass through, across, or over

ý

Idea, intention, meaning, thought

định

To plan, intend; fixed or determined

bướng

Stubborn, obstinate, unruly

bỉnh

Stubborn; used in 'bướng bỉnh' meaning obstinate

quay

To turn, rotate, spin, go back

trở

To return, turn back; become

Tuy

Although, though; concessive conjunction

nhiên

However, nevertheless; natural

roi

Whip, stick used to strike animals

cùng

Together, also; the same; along with

đánh

To hit, beat, strike; to play instrument

gác

To set aside; to guard; upper floor

kết

To conclude, tie, combine; result

hợp

To combine, cooperate, suit; appropriate

thực

Real, true, actual; to carry out

thi

To enforce, execute; to take an exam

điều

Thing, matter, condition, clause

khoản

Clause, provision, article of a contract

chiến

War, battle, combat

tranh

War; to compete; picture or painting

vốn

Originally, inherently; capital, funds

ngăn

To prevent, block, prohibit, stop

cấm

To forbid, ban, prohibit something

nếu

If; conditional conjunction

thì

Then; marks result clause in conditionals

sẽ

Will, shall; future tense marker

bằng

By means of; equal to; made of

chứng

Evidence, proof, witness

mạnh

Strong, powerful, forceful

mẽ

Intensifier suffix; used in 'mạnh mẽ' meaning strongly

cho

To give; for; so that

luận

Argument, thesis, discussion, reasoning

điểm

Point, score, aspect, dot

rằng

That; used to introduce a reported clause

loài

Species, kind, type of living creature

được

To be able to; to receive; passive marker

phú

To endow with; rich; bestowed naturally

Lý

Reason, logic, principle; a Vietnamese surname

trí

Intellect, intelligence, wisdom, mind

đàn

Herd, flock, group of animals; musical instrument

khuất

To submit, yield, be bent or hidden

phục

To submit, comply; to restore; admire

nhiệm

Duty, responsibility, task, mission

vụ

Task, affair, duty; case or incident

của

Of, belonging to; possessive particle

chúng

They, them; those creatures or people

Với

With, along with, toward

cái

Classifier for objects; the; thing

rũ

To droop, hang down, shake off

xuống

Down, downward; to descend

đuôi

Tail; the end part of an animal

run

To tremble, shake, shiver

rẩy

Trembling; used in 'run rẩy' meaning to tremble

lầm

Silently, quietly, drearily plodding along

lũi

Trudging; used in 'lầm lũi' meaning to plod quietly

vượt

To overcome, cross over, surpass

dày

Thick, dense; deep layer of something

đặc

Dense, thick, concentrated; solid

lúc

Time, moment, at the time of

loạng

Staggering; used in 'loạng choạng' meaning to stagger

choạng

Wobbling; used in 'loạng choạng' meaning unsteady

vấp

To stumble, trip over something

ngã

To fall down, tumble over

thể

Body; form; able to; as if

đang

Currently, in the process of; present tense marker

rã

To fall apart, disintegrate, dissolve

từng

Each, every; once, formerly

mảnh

Piece, fragment, shard of something

các

Plural marker; the various, all of the

khớp

Joint, knuckle; to fit or match exactly

lớn

Large, big, great, grown-up

Mỗi

Each, every; every individual one

nghỉ

To rest, stop, take a break

tiếng

Sound, voice, word; language; classifier for sounds

hô

To call out, shout, exclaim

thận

Cautious, careful; kidney (organ)

trọng

Important; careful; to respect; weight

dẫn

To lead, guide, conduct; to cite

dữ

Violent, fierce, intense, savage

dội

To pound, reverberate; used in 'dữ dội' meaning violent

lắc

To shake, rock, sway back and forth

tất

All, everything; must, necessarily

cả

All, everything, entire; even

gì

What; anything; something unspecified

trên

On top of, above, upper

phản

To oppose, reflect, counter, resist

biệt

To distinguish, separate, differentiate

quyết

Determined, decisive, resolute

liệt

Fierce, resolute; paralyzed; used in 'quyết liệt'

phủ

To cover, deny, negate; government office

nhận

To deny; to receive; to recognize