quay trái
Definition
Phrasal Verb (Imperative/Instruction):
- To turn left: A directional command instructing someone to make a 90-degree leftward turn while moving, commonly used in navigation, driving, and walking directions.
Verb Phrase (Descriptive):
- To turn left / to make a left turn: Describes the action of rotating or changing direction to the left.
Usage Examples
As an instruction:
- Tại ngã tư, hãy quay trái. (At the intersection, turn left.)
- Quay trái ở cột đèn tín hiệu tiếp theo. (Turn left at the next traffic light.)
Describing an action:
- Xe buýt đó sẽ quay trái ở đây. (That bus will turn left here.)
- Tôi đã quay trái thay vì quay phải. (I turned left instead of right.)
Advanced Usage
- In technical/scientific contexts: The reference shows a specialized, obsolete usage in chemistry to mean "levorotatory" (turning left, i.e., counterclockwise, the plane of polarized light). This usage is very rare in modern Vietnamese.
- Dung dịch đó có tính quay trái. (That solution is levorotatory.)
Variants and Related Words
Rẽ trái (v): This is the more common and colloquial synonym for "to turn left," especially in everyday speech and road signs.
- Xin hãy rẽ trái ở làn đường được chỉ định. (Please turn left in the designated lane.)
Quay phải (v): To turn right. The direct opposite action.
- Đi thẳng (v): To go straight.
Synonyms
- Turn left: The direct and most common translation.
- Make a left: A common informal equivalent.
- Take a left: Another common informal phrase for giving directions.
Related Phrases and Instructions
- "Quay đầu lại": To turn around (to reverse direction).
- "Quay trái ngay lập tức": Turn left immediately.
- "Được phép quay trái": Left turn permitted.