tiếng đồng hồ
Definition
- Noun Phrase:
- An hour (as a unit of time): A period of time equal to sixty minutes. This is the standard and most common meaning, used to measure duration.
- The sound of a clock: Literally, the ticking or chiming sound produced by a clock. This meaning is less common in everyday usage.
Usage Examples
Noun Phrase (Unit of Time):
- Chúng tôi đã chờ ba tiếng đồng hồ. (We waited for three hours.)
- Cuộc họp kéo dài một tiếng đồng hồ. (The meeting lasted one hour.)
- Tôi tập thể dục nửa tiếng đồng hồ mỗi ngày. (I exercise for half an hour every day.)
Noun Phrase (Sound):
- Trong phòng yên tĩnh, tôi nghe thấy tiếng đồng hồ. (In the quiet room, I could hear the sound of the clock.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is often used in formal or written contexts to specify duration clearly. In casual spoken Vietnamese, "tiếng" alone is frequently used.
- Tôi đi bộ hai tiếng. (I walked for two hours.) [Casual]
- Tôi đi bộ hai tiếng đồng hồ. (I walked for two hours.) [More formal/emphatic]
Variants and Related Words
- Giờ: This is the more common and general word for "hour" or "o'clock." "Tiếng đồng hồ" emphasizes the measured duration, while "giờ" can indicate a point in time (What time is it?) or a duration.
- Bây giờ là ba giờ. (It is three o'clock.)
- Tôi làm việc tám giờ một ngày. (I work eight hours a day.)
Synonyms
- Hour: A period of sixty minutes.
- Sixty minutes: The literal length of the duration.
Notes on Usage
- "Tiếng đồng hồ" is a fixed noun phrase. It is used with numbers to indicate how many hours.
- It is important to distinguish this phrase from simply "đồng hồ," which means "clock," "watch," or "meter."
- The primary function is to answer the question "How long?" (Bao lâu?).