xe hơi

Viet

Does "xe hơi" mean "car"? Why is "hơi" necessarily connected with the idea of car?

Yes, "xe hơi" means "car" in Vietnamese. The word "hơi" by itself means "steam" or "vapor." The connection between "hơi" and "car" comes from the historical context of early automobiles.

In the past, cars were often steam-powered, and the Vietnamese term "xe hơi" reflects this origin, where "xe" means "vehicle" or "transport" and "hơi" refers to the steam-powered aspect of early cars. Over time, as technology advanced and cars became primarily powered by internal combustion engines, the term "xe hơi" continued to be used to refer to cars in general, even though the steam-powered aspect is no longer relevant.

So, while "hơi" originally referred to steam, its connection to cars in Vietnamese comes from the historical association with steam-powered vehicles.


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