Definition

1. Noun:
   • Railway / Railroad: A permanent way or track consisting of parallel steel rails laid on sleepers (ties), on which trains run. This is the standard term for the physical infrastructure.
   • Railway line / Railroad track: Refers specifically to the pair of rails forming the path for a train.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Thành phố đang xây dựng một đường xe lửa mới. (The city is building a new railway.)
  • Trẻ em không được chơi gần đường xe lửa. (Children must not play near the railroad tracks.)
  • Đường xe lửa Bắc Nam rất quan trọng cho giao thông Việt Nam. (The North-South railway line is very important for Vietnam's transportation.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "đường xe lửa" is a compound noun, literally "fire-vehicle road." It is the traditional and general term. In modern technical or official contexts, the Sino-Vietnamese word "đường sắt" (iron road) is more commonly used.

Variants and Related Words

• Đường sắt (n): Railway, railroad. The more formal and contemporary synonym.
  • Công ty đường sắt Việt Nam (Vietnam Railways Corporation)
• Đường ray (n): Rail track. Refers more specifically to the rails themselves.
  • Đoàn tàu chạy trên đường ray. (The train runs on the rails.)
• Ga xe lửa / Ga tàu (n): Railway station.
  • Chúng tôi gặp nhau ở ga xe lửa. (We met at the railway station.)

Synonyms

• Railway
• Railroad
• Railway line
• Train tracks

Related Idioms

• : To live next to the railroad tracks. Can imply a noisy or disruptive living environment.
  • Nhà họ sống cạnh đường xe lửa nên rất ồn. (Their house is next to the railroad tracks, so it is very noisy.)