Xe máy của tôi bị hỏng.

Vietnamese usually puts the topic or subject first, just like English often does.

So in Xe máy của tôi bị hỏng:

• xe máy của tôi = my motorbike
• bị hỏng = is broken / got broken

The basic order is:

• subject + predicate

So this sentence is literally structured as:

• My motorbike + is broken

That is why xe máy comes first.

của tôi means my / of mine.

Vietnamese possession often works like this:

• noun + của + possessor

So:

• xe máy của tôi = my motorbike
• literally: motorbike of me

This is different from English, where my comes before the noun.

You may also hear shorter possessive patterns in Vietnamese, but noun + của + pronoun is a very clear and common way to express possession, especially for learners.

No. Tôi xe máy is not correct.

In Vietnamese, you cannot usually put the pronoun directly before the noun the way English does with my motorbike.

Correct forms include:

• xe máy của tôi = my motorbike

In everyday speech, Vietnamese can sometimes omit của in certain contexts, but for learners, xe máy của tôi is the safest and clearest pattern.

bị is a very important word in Vietnamese. In many cases, it suggests that something happens to the subject in an unwanted, negative, or unfortunate way.

In this sentence:

• bị hỏng = is broken / got broken

So bị helps show that the motorbike is affected by a bad situation.

You will often see bị in sentences like:

• Tôi bị ốm. = I got sick.
• Xe bị hỏng. = The vehicle broke down.
• Anh ấy bị mất tiền. = He lost money.

So here, bị adds the sense that the damage is something undesirable.

Not exactly. It is often taught as a passive marker, but that is only part of the story.

In real Vietnamese, bị often means the subject is affected by something negative. Sometimes that overlaps with the passive voice, but sometimes it is better understood as an adversative marker rather than a simple passive marker.

For example:

• Xe máy của tôi bị hỏng.

This does not necessarily mean someone broke it. It simply means my motorbike ended up broken or my motorbike broke down, with a negative result.

So if you think of bị only as English passive was + past participle, you may miss part of its meaning.

Vietnamese often does not use a word equivalent to English is/am/are in sentences like this.

English says:

• My motorbike is broken.

Vietnamese says:

• Xe máy của tôi bị hỏng.

There is no separate word for is here. Vietnamese commonly links the subject directly to the description or situation.

This is very normal. Vietnamese often leaves out a copula where English requires one.

Hỏng means broken, out of order, damaged, or not working properly, depending on context.

For a motorbike, hỏng usually means something like:

• it is broken
• it is not functioning
• it has a mechanical problem
• it broke down

So xe máy của tôi bị hỏng can mean:

• My motorbike is broken.
• My motorbike broke down.

The exact English translation depends on context.

Both hỏng and hư can mean broken or damaged, and in many situations they are very similar.

For example, both of these are natural:

• Xe máy của tôi bị hỏng.
• Xe máy của tôi bị hư.

General tendency:

• hỏng often feels like not working / broken down
• hư can also mean damaged / spoiled / defective

But in everyday speech, especially for machines or devices, the two are often close in meaning.

As a learner, it is fine to understand them as near equivalents in many contexts.

Yes, you may hear that in natural speech, but it depends on context and style.

• Xe máy của tôi bị hỏng = very clear, complete, and learner-friendly
• Xe máy tôi bị hỏng = more conversational, more compact

Vietnamese often drops words that are understood from context. Still, using của is a good idea when you are learning, because it makes the possession explicit and avoids ambiguity.

It usually refers to the kind of two-wheeled motor vehicle very common in Vietnam: a motorbike, scooter, or sometimes motorcycle, depending on context.

In learner translations, motorbike is often the best choice.

So:

• xe máy = motorbike / motorcycle / scooter depending on the situation

If the meaning has already been shown to you as motorbike, that is a very natural translation.

Vietnamese does not use articles the way English does.

English distinguishes:

• a motorbike
• the motorbike
• my motorbike

Vietnamese does not have direct equivalents of a and the in the same way. Meaning is usually understood from context, word choice, and modifiers.

Because the sentence says xe máy của tôi, the possession already makes it definite:

• my motorbike

So no article is needed.

Yes, depending on context.

Vietnamese does not always mark the same tense distinctions that English does. So:

• Xe máy của tôi bị hỏng could describe a present state: My motorbike is broken
• or a recent event/result: My motorbike got broken / broke down

In many cases, English chooses the most natural translation from context. If someone is explaining why they cannot go somewhere, My motorbike is broken is usually the best translation.

A rough learner-friendly guide is:

• xe ≈ sounds somewhat like seh but with Vietnamese pronunciation
• máy ≈ somewhat like my with a rising tone
• của ≈ roughly koo-uh / kuh-a, depending on accent
• tôi ≈ roughly toy
• bị ≈ roughly bee with a heavy falling tone
• hỏng ≈ roughly hawng / hong with Vietnamese vowel quality and tone

A few important notes:

• Vietnamese tones matter a lot.
• The exact pronunciation changes by dialect, especially North vs South.
• English-style approximations are only rough guides.

If you want to say it well, it is best to learn each syllable with its tone:

• xe
• máy
• của
• tôi
• bị
• hỏng

Yes, it is completely natural and correct.

Xe máy của tôi bị hỏng is a very normal way to say that your motorbike is broken or has broken down.

It is clear, grammatical, and useful in everyday life, especially if you need to explain a problem with your vehicle.