Xe máy được kiểm tra định kỳ ở tiệm sửa xe.

Được is marking a passive meaning here.

• Xe máy được kiểm tra... = Motorbikes are inspected...

• A very common pattern is:

  noun + được + verb

In this sentence:

• xe máy = motorbike(s)
• được kiểm tra = are inspected / get inspected

A useful contrast:

• được often sounds neutral or positive
• bị often sounds negative or unfortunate

So xe máy được kiểm tra định kỳ sounds natural, while xe máy bị kiểm tra định kỳ would suggest the inspection is somehow unpleasant or unwanted.

Vietnamese word order here is very typical:

• Xe máy = topic/subject
• được kiểm tra = passive verb phrase
• định kỳ = regularly / periodically
• ở tiệm sửa xe = at a repair shop

So the structure is basically:

subject + passive marker + verb + adverb + location

That gives:

Xe máy / được kiểm tra / định kỳ / ở tiệm sửa xe.

This is one of the most natural ways to build the sentence in Vietnamese.

Định kỳ means periodically, at regular intervals, or on a schedule.

It is a little more specific than just often or regularly, because it suggests there is some kind of repeated schedule.

Examples:

• kiểm tra định kỳ = inspect periodically
• bảo dưỡng định kỳ = maintain/service on a regular schedule

So định kỳ is a very common word in formal and practical contexts like inspections, maintenance, payments, checkups, and reports.

Because in Vietnamese, words like định kỳ often come after the verb they describe.

So:

• kiểm tra định kỳ = inspect periodically

This is more natural than trying to place định kỳ before the verb in this sentence.

You may also see other placements in some contexts, but được kiểm tra định kỳ is the most straightforward and natural form here.

Ở means at or in here, and tiệm sửa xe means repair shop.

Breaking it down:

• ở = at
• tiệm = shop
• sửa = repair/fix
• xe = vehicle / bike

So ở tiệm sửa xe means at the repair shop.

Because the sentence is about xe máy (motorbikes), the listener will naturally understand this as a motorbike repair shop, even though the phrase itself does not explicitly repeat xe máy.

Not always by itself.

Literally, tiệm sửa xe means something like vehicle repair shop or bike/vehicle repair shop, depending on context. In everyday Vietnamese, it often refers to places that repair motorbikes, bicycles, or small vehicles.

In this sentence, since the subject is xe máy, the meaning is naturally understood as a place where motorbikes are repaired or checked.

If you want to be extra explicit, you could say:

• tiệm sửa xe máy = motorbike repair shop

Because Vietnamese nouns normally do not change for articles or plural the way English nouns do.

So xe máy can mean:

• a motorbike
• the motorbike
• motorbikes
• the motorbikes

The exact meaning depends on context.

In this sentence, it is most naturally understood as a general statement, so English often translates it with a plural:

• Motorbikes are periodically inspected at repair shops.

Vietnamese leaves that more open unless the speaker adds extra words.

Usually not in this sentence, if you want the same passive meaning.

• Xe máy được kiểm tra định kỳ... = Motorbikes are inspected periodically...

If you remove được:

• Xe máy kiểm tra định kỳ...

that sounds wrong or at least very unnatural, because now xe máy looks like it is doing the action of inspecting.

If you want to avoid the passive, you could switch to an active sentence, for example:

• Người ta kiểm tra xe máy định kỳ ở tiệm sửa xe. = People inspect motorbikes periodically at repair shops.

So được is important here for showing that xe máy is the thing being inspected.

Both can mark a passive-like meaning, but they are not interchangeable.

• được = neutral or positive passive
• bị = negative, unwanted, or unfortunate passive

Examples:

• Xe máy được kiểm tra định kỳ. = The motorbike is inspected periodically.
  Neutral and normal.

• Xe máy bị hỏng. = The motorbike is broken / got damaged.
  Negative situation.

If you said:

• Xe máy bị kiểm tra định kỳ

it would sound odd in most contexts, as if being inspected were a bad thing or an inconvenience.

Vietnamese does not mark tense the same way English does. There is no verb ending that tells you past, present, or future.

So this sentence is best understood from context. By itself, it sounds like a general fact or habitual statement:

• Xe máy được kiểm tra định kỳ ở tiệm sửa xe. = Motorbikes are periodically inspected at repair shops.

If you want to make time clearer, Vietnamese can add time words or markers such as:

• đã = past
• đang = in progress
• sẽ = future

For example:

• Xe máy đã được kiểm tra định kỳ ở tiệm sửa xe.
• Xe máy sẽ được kiểm tra định kỳ ở tiệm sửa xe.

Yes, you often can.

• ở is very common and natural in everyday speech.
• tại is usually a bit more formal or written.

So both are possible:

• Xe máy được kiểm tra định kỳ ở tiệm sửa xe.
• Xe máy được kiểm tra định kỳ tại tiệm sửa xe.

The first one sounds more conversational and ordinary. The second one sounds slightly more formal.

It is a fixed everyday term meaning motorbike or motor scooter.

Breaking it down literally:

• xe = vehicle
• máy = machine / motor

But you should learn xe máy as one normal vocabulary item, not by translating each part too literally every time.

It is one of the standard Vietnamese vehicle words:

• xe máy = motorbike
• xe đạp = bicycle
• ô tô / xe hơi = car

Sometimes yes, but the original version is the most natural.

Most natural:

• Xe máy được kiểm tra định kỳ ở tiệm sửa xe.

You could also say:

• Định kỳ, xe máy được kiểm tra ở tiệm sửa xe.

That puts more emphasis on the idea of periodically.

But for a learner, được kiểm tra định kỳ is the safest and most natural pattern to use.