Booking, Deposits & Handover
Vietnamese Words on Rental Papers: A Short Glossary for Foreign Renters
About 6 minutes to read
A rental form, a receipt or a copy of a bike’s papers written in Vietnamese can leave a visitor signing lines they cannot read. A few dozen words are enough to spot whether a deposit, dates, a plate number or a signature space appear, and whether any of them has been left blank. This list sets out Vietnamese words on motorbike rental papers, glossary style, each with a plain English gloss and a check to make with the paper in front of you. It is a reading aid only: check it against the complete written agreement, applicable law and a translation you can understand; ask for independent help if the shop’s explanation and the wording differ, and the list contains no rule, price or model figure.
Reading a form with this list beside you
- Ask to see the paper before any money changes hands, and read it where you can take your time.
- Find the heading and the names of the parties first, so you know what kind of paper it is and who it names.
- Match each number to something you can check: the plate to the bike, the amounts to the messages you exchanged, the dates to your plans.
- Mark any line you cannot match, and ask about it before signing.
- Photograph every page once it is complete, signatures included.
A missing tone mark can turn one Vietnamese word into another, so look closely at the marks above and below the letters. For brief replies on other parts of renting, see the Hanoi Motorbike Rental FAQ page.
The agreement and the people named on it
| Vietnamese | In English | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| hợp đồng | contract | Whether the heading calls the paper a contract or something else, such as a receipt |
| hợp đồng thuê xe | vehicle rental contract | That the bike and the dates described match your booking |
| bên cho thuê | the party renting the bike out | Whose name and phone number appear |
| bên thuê, người thuê | the hiring party; the renter | Your name, spelled as in your passport |
| bên A, bên B | Party A, Party B | Which letter stands for you, so later lines make sense |
| họ tên | full name | That no letters were dropped when it was copied |
| ngày sinh | date of birth | The order of day and month, since Vietnamese dates put the day first |
| hộ chiếu | passport | That the passport number has been copied correctly |
| số điện thoại | phone number | That both parties’ numbers are complete |
| chữ ký, ký tên | signature; sign | That nothing above the signature space is blank |
Words that identify the bike
Xe means vehicle and xe máy means motorbike; the words below pin down one particular machine.
| Word | Meaning | Your check |
|---|---|---|
| biển số, biển kiểm soát | number plate; plate number | Match it, character by character, to the plate on the bike |
| số khung | frame number | A long code of letters and digits; ask where it appears on the bike if you want to compare |
| số máy | engine number | A second code; ask the shop to point it out rather than searching under panels |
| nhãn hiệu, màu sơn | make (brand); paint colour | That both describe the bike standing in front of you |
| giấy tờ xe | the bike’s papers | Ask which papers stay with the bike while you ride |
| bản sao, bản gốc | copy; original | Whether what you are handed is a copy or an original |
Money and date words
| Term | Gloss | Before you sign |
|---|---|---|
| tiền cọc, tiền đặt cọc | deposit (the money) | The amount, the currency and how it was paid |
| đặt cọc | to put down a deposit | What the deposit secures, the amount and currency, and where the agreed terms are written |
| hoàn cọc, trả cọc | return of the deposit | Whether a line says when and how it comes back |
| giá thuê | rental rate | Whether it is per day, per week or per month (theo ngày, theo tuần, theo tháng) |
| phụ thu | surcharge; an extra charge | Ask what it is for |
| thanh toán | payment; to pay | Who paid what, and on which date |
| tiền mặt, chuyển khoản | cash; bank transfer | Which method the paper records |
| bằng số, bằng chữ | in figures; in words | That both versions of an amount agree |
| biên nhận | receipt | Whether one is issued for each payment |
| ngày nhận xe, ngày trả xe | pick-up date; return date | Both dates, plus the times if any are written |
| gia hạn | extension | Ask how an extension would be agreed |
Keeping track of a deposit from payment to return is the subject of Hanoi Motorbike Rental Deposits: How to Record Payment and Return.
Words about condition, damage and handover
- tình trạng xe: condition of the bike, where existing marks may be listed.
- trầy xước: scratches or scuffs; móp: a dent.
- hư hỏng: damage, or broken; mất: lost or missing, as in mất xe, loss of the bike.
- bồi thường: compensation, a payment to make good a loss or damage.
- mức xăng: fuel level; số km: the kilometre reading.
- chìa khóa: key.
- ghi chú: notes or remarks; xác nhận: confirmation, or to confirm.
If the condition space is empty, ask for existing scratches to be written in before you ride, and photograph them yourself as well.
What not to do before signing a paper you cannot read
- Do not sign a page with a blank amount, date or plate number.
- Do not rely on a spoken summary of a line that matters; ask to have it written in a message too. Requesting a version you can follow is the theme of A Digital Rental Agreement You Cannot Read: Request an Understandable Copy.
- Do not treat a camera-translation app as the final word; handwriting and tone marks can defeat it, so confirm key lines with the shop.
- Keep your original identity documents with you after any lawful identity check. If the shop proposes keeping them as security, pause and ask for lawful alternatives before agreeing.
If a mismatch happens
A plate, an amount or a name that does not match is something to clear up on the spot, and raising it is not an accusation.
- Point to the line and show what you expected, such as the plate on the bike or the figure in the chat.
- Ask for the line to be corrected, or for a written note explaining the difference.
- Check that the correction appears on every copy, then photograph the corrected page.
- If doubt remains, hold off paying or signing until it is cleared up.
Reading a whole agreement before a deposit is paid is covered in How to Read a Motorbike Rental Contract Before Paying a Deposit.
Questions to ask the shop about its paperwork wording
- Which lines on this paper show the deposit, the rental dates and the plate number, and could each one be read out in English?
- Is there an English or bilingual version of this paper, or can the key lines be confirmed in a message before signing?
Thuê xe máy Nguyễn Hà is open 09:00–21:00 daily at Ngõ 5 Nguyễn Văn Cừ, Bồ Đề, Long Biên, Hà Nội (near Gia Lâm bus station). Phone: 0334 699 969.
