bến

bến

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ben"

Vietnamese

Etymology

Compare Middle Chinese 濱 (MC piɪn) (SV: tân), Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *te(m)biŋ (“border, edge, shore, bank”), & Proto-Monic *t(r)mɓaɲ (“rim, edge; lips”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɓen˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɓen˦˧˥]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ʔɓəːn˦˥]

Noun

bến • (𡔖, 𤅶, 𥘂)

1. a station (place where a vehicle may stop)

   Bến xe Miền Đông ― Mien Dong Coach Station

2. a port or a wharf

   Bến Nhà Rồng ― Dragon Wharf, lit. Dragon House Wharf

3. (literary) the shore of a body of water
   • 1938, Hàn Mặc Tử, "Đây thôn Vĩ Dạ (Here is the Vĩ Dạ Hamlet)", Thơ điên (Mad Poems) / Đau thương (Agony)

     Thuyền ai đậu bến sông trăng đó,
     Có chở trăng về kịp tối nay?

     Someone's boat is moored at the moon[lit] river's shore there,
     Shall it take the moon[light] back timely tonight?

Usage notes

• On land, large bến, such as Ho Chi Minh City's Mien Dong Coach Station, are stations where coaches and coach-vans used for inter-province travel can also park. Smaller bến are only specialized for numbered buses, carts and autorickshaws used for in-province travel or commute.
• Compare ga (“train station”).

Derived terms

Derived terms

• bến cảng
• Bến Tre
• bến xe buýt
• tới bến