Definition

1. Noun:
   • Ambulance: A specially equipped vehicle used by medical services to transport sick or injured people, especially in emergencies, to a hospital or other medical facility. It is typically marked with distinctive symbols such as a red cross or a star of life.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Sau tai nạn, mọi người đã gọi xe cứu thương ngay lập tức. (After the accident, people called an ambulance immediately.)
  • Tiếng còi hú của chiếc xe cứu thương vang lên khẩn cấp. (The siren of the ambulance wailed urgently.)
  • Bệnh nhân được đưa lên xe cứu thương để chuyển đến bệnh viện trung ương. (The patient was loaded into the ambulance for transfer to the central hospital.)

Advanced Usage

• The term xe cứu thương is a compound noun, literally meaning "rescue-injury vehicle." It is the standard and most common term used in all contexts.
• In official or medical contexts, it is sometimes referred to more formally as xe vận chuyển cấp cứu (emergency transport vehicle).

Variants and Related Words

• Xe cấp cứu: A synonym for xe cứu thương, also meaning "ambulance." It emphasizes the "emergency" () aspect.
• Xe cứu hộ: Generally means "rescue vehicle" and is often used for vehicles used by fire departments or other rescue services, not specifically for medical transport. However, in some informal contexts, it might be used interchangeably.
• Xe bệnh viện: Literally "hospital vehicle." This is a broader term that can refer to any vehicle owned by a hospital, including ambulances, but is not the specific term for an ambulance.

Synonyms

• Ambulance (English loanword, sometimes used informally in Vietnam).
• Xe cấp cứu (emergency vehicle).

Related Phrases / Idioms

• Gọi xe cứu thương: To call an ambulance. This is the standard phrase for summoning emergency medical transport.
  • Thấy ông ấy bị ngất, tôi vội gọi xe cứu thương. (Seeing him faint, I quickly called an ambulance.)
• Chở bằng xe cứu thương: To transport by ambulance.
  • Anh ta bị thương nặng và phải chở bằng xe cứu thương tới bệnh viện. (He was seriously injured and had to be transported by ambulance to the hospital.)

noun

1. ambulance