Thợ máy vá lốp.

It breaks down like this:

• thợ máy = mechanic
• vá = to patch, mend, repair
• lốp = tire / tyre

So the structure is:

subject + verb + object

→ thợ máy + vá + lốp

You should mainly learn thợ máy as a fixed expression meaning mechanic.

Still, it helps to know the parts:

• thợ = worker, craftsman, repair person
• máy = machine, engine

Vietnamese often builds noun phrases this way, and thợ máy is a normal job title. So in this sentence, treat it as one noun phrase: the mechanic / a mechanic.

Vietnamese usually does not require articles the way English does.

So Thợ máy vá lốp can mean:

• A mechanic patches a tire
• The mechanic is patching the tire
• Mechanics patch tires

Which one is meant depends on context.

If you want to be more specific, Vietnamese can add words to clarify, for example:

• người thợ máy = the mechanic / a mechanic
• cái lốp này = this tire
• cái lốp đó = that tire

Because the basic Vietnamese word order is usually:

Subject + Verb + Object

So in Thợ máy vá lốp:

• thợ máy comes before the verb, so it is the doer
• vá is the action
• lốp comes after the verb, so it is what gets repaired

In other words, the sentence means the mechanic repairs the tire, not the tire repairs the mechanic.

Vá is more specific than the general English word repair.

It usually means patch, mend, or fix a hole/tear. It is often used for things like:

• vá áo = patch/mend clothes
• vá săm = patch an inner tube
• vá lốp = patch/fix a tire

So in this sentence, vá suggests repairing damage such as a puncture, not just any kind of repair.

Because lốp specifically means tire.

By contrast:

• lốp = tire
• bánh xe = wheel
• xe = vehicle

In everyday English, people sometimes loosely say wheel when they really mean tire, but Vietnamese can make the distinction more clearly.

So if the mechanic is fixing the rubber outer part, lốp is the right word.

Not necessarily.

Vietnamese often uses bare nouns with no classifier, especially when speaking generally or when the exact number/specificity is not important.

So vá lốp is completely natural.

You might add a classifier if you want to emphasize one specific tire:

• Thợ máy vá cái lốp. = The mechanic patches the tire / a tire.

But in a short basic sentence, leaving it as lốp is normal.

Vietnamese usually does not mark tense directly on the verb.

So vá does not change form the way English verbs do. Time is often understood from context, or shown with time words and aspect markers.

For example:

• Thợ máy đang vá lốp. = The mechanic is patching the tire.
• Thợ máy đã vá lốp. = The mechanic patched / has patched the tire.
• Thợ máy sẽ vá lốp. = The mechanic will patch the tire.

Without those markers, Thợ máy vá lốp is neutral and can be understood as a general statement or simple present-style sentence.

A rough guide:

• thợ — starts with an aspirated th sound, with a heavy low tone
• máy — roughly like my, with a rising tone
• vá — roughly like vah, with a rising tone
• lốp — roughly like lope said very short, with a rising tone and a clipped final p

The tones are important:

• thợ = low, heavy tone
• máy = rising tone
• vá = rising tone
• lốp = rising tone

If you ignore the tones, people may still guess your meaning from context, but correct tones make you much easier to understand.

Yes, it is grammatical and understandable.

That said, in real life, Vietnamese speakers often choose wording based on the kind of mechanic:

• thợ máy = mechanic
• thợ sửa xe = vehicle repair person / bike or motorbike mechanic

So depending on context, a speaker might also say:

• Thợ sửa xe vá lốp.

But Thợ máy vá lốp is still a good, clear basic sentence for learning the pattern.

Usually no, not freely.

The normal order here is:

Thợ máy vá lốp.

If you change the order, the sentence may become unnatural or mean something else unless there is special context.

For a beginner, the safest pattern is:

subject + verb + object

So if you want to make similar sentences, follow the same model:

• Bác sĩ khám bệnh. = The doctor examines the patient / examines illnesses.
• Học sinh đọc sách. = The student reads a book.
• Thợ máy vá lốp. = The mechanic patches a tire.