Definition

1. Adverb:
   • At the same time, while at it, on the same occasion: "luôn thể" indicates doing an additional action conveniently during the course of another action or trip, without making a separate, special effort. It expresses the idea of taking advantage of an existing opportunity.

Usage Examples

• Adverb:
  • Anh đi chợ, luôn thể mua cho em ít rau. (You're going to the market, could you buy me some vegetables while you're at it?)
  • Tôi về quê, luôn thể thăm ông bà. (I'm going back to my hometown, and I'll visit my grandparents on the same occasion.)
  • Cô ấy đến thư viện trả sách, luôn thể mượn cuốn mới. (She went to the library to return books and borrowed a new one while she was there.)

Advanced Usage

• "Nhân tiện/luôn tiện" vs. "luôn thể": "Nhân tiện" and "luôn thể" are often interchangeable, both meaning "while you're at it" or "by the way" when suggesting an additional action. "Luôn thể" can feel slightly more colloquial and is often used for practical, concrete actions tied to a specific trip or errand.
  • Anh ra ngoài, luôn thể đổ rác giúp tôi. (You're going out, could you take out the trash for me while you're at it?)

Variants and Related Words

• Luôn (adv): Immediately, right away; continuously. (Note: While "luôn" is part of "luôn thể", its core meaning is different. "Luôn thể" functions as a fixed phrase.)
• Nhân thể (adv): Synonym for "luôn thể", meaning "while at it", "on the same occasion".
• Nhân tiện (adv): By the way, conveniently, while you're at it. (A very close synonym, often used in similar contexts.)

Synonyms

• Nhân tiện: By the way, conveniently.
• Nhân thể: While at it, on the same occasion.
• Tiện thể: While it's convenient, while you're at it.

Related Phrases / Idioms

• "Một công đôi việc": This idiom (killing two birds with one stone) captures the underlying concept of "luôn thể" – accomplishing an extra task efficiently during a primary action.
  • Đi siêu thị mua đồ và gửi bưu kiện luôn thể đúng là một công đôi việc. (Going to the supermarket to buy groceries and mailing a parcel while there is truly killing two birds with one stone.)

1. như luôn