Bộ định tuyến ở gần modem.

Bộ định tuyến is the standard Vietnamese term for router.

• bộ = a set/device/unit
• định tuyến = routing

So bộ định tuyến literally means something like routing device. In everyday speech, though, many Vietnamese speakers also just say router, especially in tech contexts.

In bộ định tuyến, bộ is part of the established noun for the device. It is not just a random extra word.

If you leave it out and say định tuyến, that usually sounds more like routing as an action or technical concept, not clearly the router as a physical object.

So if you want the full Vietnamese term for router, use bộ định tuyến.

Here, ở means to be located at / to be in / to be at.

In the sentence Bộ định tuyến ở gần modem, ở links the subject to its location:

• Bộ định tuyến = the router
• ở gần modem = is near the modem

So ở is doing the job that English often does with is plus a location phrase.

Both can be understood, but ở gần modem is clearer and more complete for beginners.

• ở gần modem = is near the modem
• gần modem = near the modem

In casual Vietnamese, people do sometimes omit ở when the meaning is obvious. But using ở is very natural and helpful because it clearly marks location.

So Bộ định tuyến ở gần modem is a good, standard sentence.

Gần means near.

Vietnamese often expresses location in this pattern:

Subject + ở + location

Here:

• Bộ định tuyến = subject
• ở = is located
• gần modem = near the modem

So the word order is:

Bộ định tuyến ở gần modem
= The router is near the modem

This is different from English only in that Vietnamese does not need an article like the or a.

Vietnamese does not use articles like a, an, and the the way English does.

So Bộ định tuyến can mean:

• a router
• the router

The exact meaning depends on context.

In a real conversation, if both speakers already know which router is being discussed, English would naturally say the router, but Vietnamese still just says bộ định tuyến.

Yes. Modem is commonly used in Vietnamese as a borrowed technical word.

In modern everyday Vietnamese, especially with technology, borrowed words are very common. So modem in this sentence is perfectly normal.

You may also hear people use other English-based tech words in Vietnamese conversation, especially in informal speech.

A simple learner-friendly approximation is:

boh dinh twyeen uh gun moh-dem

A few notes:

• đ in định is like English d
• tuyến has a vowel sound that may feel unfamiliar at first
• gần has a short vowel and a low/falling tone pattern
• ở also has a distinct Vietnamese vowel and tone

If you are studying pronunciation seriously, pay special attention to the tones in:

• định
• tuyến
• ở
• gần

Those matter for sounding natural and being understood.

Yes. In everyday speech, especially in informal or tech-heavy contexts, many speakers would say:

Router ở gần modem.

That sounds natural in conversation.
However, bộ định tuyến ở gần modem is the more fully Vietnamese and more textbook-style version.

So:

• bộ định tuyến = more formal/standard Vietnamese term
• router = very common in real life

Both can relate to proximity, but they are not exactly the same.

• gần = near, close to
• cạnh = next to, beside

So:

• Bộ định tuyến ở gần modem = The router is near the modem.
• Bộ định tuyến ở cạnh modem = The router is next to the modem.

If the router is very close, even directly beside it, cạnh may be more precise. If you just mean generally nearby, gần is a very good choice.

It can describe either one, depending on context.

Bộ định tuyến ở gần modem simply states where the router is located. It does not itself tell you whether that location is:

• permanent,
• temporary,
• intentional,
• accidental.

So it can mean:

• the router is usually kept near the modem, or
• right now the router is near the modem.

Context tells you which meaning is intended.