dìng

Dùng is a Vietnamese verb meaning to use, to employ, to utilize, or to consume. It covers applying a tool, resource, method, or action to achieve a result. In everyday language it is the default form and is commonly used with a direct object, e.g., dùng nước, dùng thuốc, dùng điện, dùng máy tính. It can also express purpose with để, as in dùng để làm gì (used for doing something). Phrases such as dùng thử (to try using), dùng lại (to reuse), and dùng chung (to share use) are frequent.

Etymology and related terms: the word has a Sino-Vietnamese counterpart dũng/dụng, which appears in compounds such as dụng cụ (tool, instrument). In modern Vietnamese, the verb is usually written as dùng, while the compound or literary form dùng appears in some contexts; the two are etymologically related but not always interchangeable in compounds.

Usage notes: dùng is less formal than sử dụng, which is a more formal or technical synonym often preferred in official or written prose. Dùng typically indicates ordinary use in daily life, while sử dụng can emphasize the act of employing a resource or method in a deliberate or systematic way.

See also: sử dụng; dụng cụ.