hồi

Sino-Vietnamese word from 回 (“to return; occurrence classifier; chapter classifier”).

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [hoj˨˩]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [hoj˦˩]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [hoj˨˩]

hồi

1. a time, especially in the past

   hồi trước ― there was a time when; back when

   hồi nhỏ/trẻ ― during childhood

   • 2005, Nguyễn Ngọc Tư, "Biển người mênh mông" (in Cánh đồng bất tận), Trẻ publishing house

     Ông kể, hồi trẻ, ông toàn sống trên sông, ông có chiếc ghe, hai vợ chồng lang thang xứ nầy xứ nọ.

     He told that, in his youth, he always lived on the river; he had a junk and he and his wife would roam from one place to the other.

2. (preceded by một) a relatively long occurrence of an action

   Họ nói chuyện một hồi rồi về.

   They talked for a while, then left.

   Lão nói một thôi một hồi không nghỉ.

   He just kept going on and on forever.

3. (only in fixed expression) an instance of sustained sound, usually of a bell or drum

   hồi trống ― a drum roll

4. (fiction) Synonym of chương (“chapter”)

   Đã ba hồi trôi qua rồi mà chẳng thấy có tiến triển gì cả.

   Three chapters past and there's still no progress.

5. (narratology, especially theater) an act

   Hồi 1, Cảnh 1 ― Act 1, Scene 1

   cấu trúc 3 hồi ― the 3-act structure

hồi

1. (literary) to be back in good shape or a calm and collected state of consciousness