This post is a part of “Vocabulary by the room” series. And today, the topic is “Vocabulary by the room: bedroom.”
To learn how to say different rooms in Vietnamese, see Rooms in Vietnamese.
To check out vocabulary for other rooms in the series, see:
- Vietnamese vocabulary by the room: kitchen
- Vocabulary By The Room: Bedroom
- Vocabulary by the room: Bathroom
Table of Contents
Giường
Giường means bed(s) in general. To indicate a bed, you can say “cái giường” instead of just “giường.”
Other words related to “giường:”
- Chân giường can mean either bed legs or where the legs of the sleeper lie.
- Đầu giường means the head of the bed or where the head of the sleeper lies.
As we have just learned, giường means bed. If you have read my other post about how to say body parts in Vietnamese, you may recognize that chân means leg(s), and đầu means head.
Gối
Gối means pillow(s).
Other words related to gối:
- Gối nằm means head pillow.
- Gối ôm means body pillow.
- Bao gối means pillow case.
Now this is a little bit tricky because we know that đầu means head, but head pillow is actually called gối nằm. Nằm means “to lay down.”
You may see “gối đầu” in a sentence but it doesn’t mean “pillow” or “head pillow.”
For example, “gối đầu giường” is actually “gối” “đầu giường,” which refers to the act of putting something under your pillow at đầu giường (see above for meanings). “Quyển sách gối đầu giường” refers to a book that you would read every night before going to sleep and put it under your pillow at đầu giường, in other word, a book that you like very much.
“Gối đầu” can also mean to put your head on something.
Anh ấy học đến khuya. Mệt quá, anh dùng quyển sách gối đầu ngủ.
He studied until late. Tired, he used the book to rest his head and slept.
You may also see “gối đầu” in “bán gối đầu” or “nợ gối đầu.” In this case, đầu means “first,” not “head.” “Bán gối đầu” refers to the business practice of delivering/selling products first and receiving payment later. “Bán” means “to sell.” “Nợ gối đầu” is another business term which refers to buyers receiving products first (owing first) and paying later. “Nợ” means “debt” or “to owe.”
Now let’s move on to the next word, “gối ôm.” Ôm means to hug. Gối ôm refers to a pillow that you hug, in other words, body pillow.
Ra trải giường/Ga trải giường
When we say ra giường (short for ra trải giường) or ga giường (short for ga trải giường) we usually mean bedsheet, the fitted sheet that covers the mattress. Ra giường is used in the Southern regions while ga giường is used in the Northern regions of Vietnam.
Ra and ga have their own meanings when standing alone or combining with other words. In this case, they don’t have their own meanings here. They are used with trải giường to create new words.
Trải giường refers to the action of spreading the sheet on the bed.
Mền/Chăn
Both mền and chăn mean blanket. Mền is often used in the Southern regions while chăn is often used in the Northern regions.
Nệm/Đệm
Nệm and đệm both mean mattress. Nệm is often used in the Southern regions while đệm is often used in the Northern regions.
Example:
Nệm Kymdan nổi tiếng ở Việt Nam.
Kymdan Mattress is well-known in Vietnam.
Quiz
Let’s test what you have learned with a short quiz!
Are you ready?
