Tieng Viet lovers club

[jackbl]

20 – If… then… – Nếu… thì
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If (sentence 1), then (sentence 2) - Nếu (sentence 1), thì (sentence 2)

Nếu trời đẹp thì chúng tôi đi biển
If the weather beautiful then we go to the beach
If the weather is good, we’ll go the beach.

[jackbl]

Dictionary
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If you need to look up a word during your Vietnamese study, there are many free, online dictionaries

•Vdict.com
•VNdic.com
•VietDictionary.com


Each site’s layout is slightly different but the content is similar. I personally use vdict.com just because I know it first.

Tip for looking up the English equivalents of Vietnamese words (mostly for intermediate learners):

•English words can have multiple syllables but all syllables are written together into one word. For example: together is one word made up of 3 syllables to-get-(t)her

•Vietnamese words can have 1 or multiple syllables. Each syllable is a word with its own meaning, but together with another syllable/word, they make another word with another meaning.

•Example: học – to study; giả – fake –> học giả = a scholar. Dòng – a string/stream; dõi – to follow something –> dòng dõi = lineage

•If you are new to Vietnamese, and you’re looking up a word in this newspaper headline Phó tổng thống Mỹ tới thăm Trung Quốc, how can you tell which word has one syllable? which has multiple syllables?

•If you’re new and have no clue, first try looking up each syllable from left to right, then, when you put together the meaning of the single syllable and they don’t make sense, try to look up two syllables together.

•For example, with that headline above, a look up for single syllable word would yield this:

•Phó tổng thống Mỹ tới thăm Trung Quốc
deputy total (no entry) USA come visit China

Now you have the deputy tổng thống of USA come visit China. Look up tổng thống = president –> the deputy president? he’s the vice president + of USA = the American vice-president (currently Joe Biden) –> The American vice president paid a visit to China
Don’t worry about this if you’re new. You will only have this problem when you’re seriously learning Vietnamese and realize that you have serious trouble looking up Viet words because they don’t make sense

Cheers!

[jackbl]

Pronunciation & Listening
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This page is a list of lessons and videos (YouTube) which I think are useful for learning Vietnamese listening and pronunciation skill.

Also, check out the list of TV and Podcast in Vietnamese

www.everydayviet.com

VictoriaVickyNguyen

Bud Brown

[jackbl]

21 – Have you ever…? có … bao giờ chưa?
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Also see # 29 “Chưa – yet – Rồi – already – then“

Have you ever done something?

Question: Subject + có/đã + verb + bao giờ chưa?
Answer: Rồi (yes/ already) or Chưa (no/not yet)

Em đã đi nhảy dù bao giờ chưa?
You did sky-dive ever?
Have you ever gone skydiving?


Question: Subject + có + bao giờ + verb + không? the meaning is the similar as above, but this is more towards if you ever do something small
Answer: Có (yes) or Không (no)

Anh có bao giờ dậy muộn không?
You ever wake up late ?
Have you ever woken up late?


Subject + chưa bao giờ + verb: you never did this yet (but you may do it some day)

Chị chưa bao giờ xem phim Casablanca
I (female) never watch movie Casablanca
I have never watched the movie Casablanca.


Subject + không bao giờ + verb: you never do this (because you choose to never do it)

Chú không bao giờ hút thuốc lá
I (male) never smoke cigarettes

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22 – Can – able to… – có thể… được
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Also see # 28 “Permission: is it ok to do something?…. được không?”

Here’s how to say you can/are able to do something

(1) Subject + có thể + verb + object (+ được)

có thể translate straight into the word “can” in English.

(2) subject + verb + object + được

this is used to talk about an ability that you have


Tôi có thể chạy ma ra tông
I can run marathon

Chị ấy nhảy tango được
She dance tango can/ is able to
She can/is able to dance the tango.


And how to say you cannot/are not able to do something:

Subject + không thể + verb + object (+được)
Subject + không + verb + được

Hellen Keller không thể nghe, nói, và nhìn
Hellen Keller cannot hear, speak, and see

Cô không ăn cay được
I (female) not eat spicy
I cannot eat spicy food.


Question form: Can … do something? Are you able to do something?

Question: Subject + có thể + verb (+ object) + không?
Answer: Có (yes), Không (no)

Anh có thể đi Canada tháng sau không?
You (male) can go to Canada next month or not?
Can you go to Canada next month?

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23 – Let’s… make a command – nhé, đi
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nhé and đi are placed at the end of a sentence to make suggestion or urge people to do something for you. They’re informal.

(subject) + verb + nhé/đi

Đi picnic đi!
Go picnic let’s
Let’s go picnic!

Anh đi mua dưa hấu cho em nhé!
You go buy watermelon for me please!

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24 – know – know how to – biet
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biết means to know someone, something or know how to do something

subject + biết + noun/verb

Anh biết chị Giang
I (male) know Giang

Em biết tiếng Đức
I know German

Chú ấy biết sửa máy ảnh
He knows how to fix camera

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25 – How far? … cách bao xa?
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Also see # 8 “Where… ở đâu?”

To ask how far the 1st place is from the 2nd place, use cách (to be separated from) and bao xa (how far)?

Question: 1st place + cách + 2nd place + bao xa?
Short answer: the distance - Long answer: 1st place + cách + 2nd place + distance

Venice cách Milan bao xa? Venice cách Milan 277 km (172 miles)

Nhà bạn cách hiệu sách bao xa? 4 phố
Your house to the bookstore how far? 4 blocks

To say 1st place is close to 2nd place: 1st place + ở + gần + 2nd place
To say 1st place is far from 2nd place: 1st place + ở + xa + 2nd place

Seoul ở gần Tokyo
Seoul ở xa Boston

To ask for an address, use Địa chỉ của + place + là gì?
Short answer: the address — Long answer: Địa chỉ + của + place + là + address

Địa chỉ của Apple Store là gì?
Address of cửa hàng Apple is what?
220 Yonge St Toronto

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26 – What time? Mấy giờ…?
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Also see # 9 “When… bao giờ/khi nào?“

To ask What time do you do something?
use Mấy giờ…? (what hour)? or … lúc mấy giờ? (at what hour)

Question:

Mấy giờ + subject + verb (+ object) ?
Subject + verb (+ object) + lúc mấy giờ?

Answer: Time or subject + verb + lúc + the exact time

Bây giờ là mấy giờ? Mười (10) giờ ba mươi (30) phút sáng
Now is what time? 10:30 in the morning

Bạn đi làm lúc mấy giờ? Tám (8) giờ tối
You go to work at what time? 8 pm

Mấy giờ máy bay cất cánh? Khoảng 5 giờ chiều
What time the plane takes off? Approximately 5 pm

Quick questions: To ask “What time is it now?” (what is the time?), you can either ask

- Bây giờ là mấy giờ?
- Mấy giờ rồi?

Giờ: hour; phút: minute; giây: second.


Period:
•sáng (am, morning approx. before 11am),
•trưa (noon between approx. 11am -1 pm),
•chiều (pm, afternoon),
•tối (pm, evening),
•đêm (pm midnight)

The format is # giờ + # phút + # giây + period.

Example: tám (8) giờ mười (10) phút tối – 8:10 pm; hai (2) giờ chiều – 2pm

[jackbl]

27 – Anybody, nobody… ai
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Also see # 6 “Who, whom, whose… ai?”

You can use Ai to ask Is there anybody/somebody…(who does something)…?

Question: Có + ai + verb + không?
Answer: Có - yes or Không - no

Có ai biết bơi không? Có
Is there anybody who khows how to swim ? Yes

Có ai ở trường không? Không
Is there anybody at school ? No

Có ai muốn ăn bánh mì không? Không có ai
Is there anyone who wants to eat Viet sandwich ? Nobody

Không ai or Không có ai means nobody:

Không ai biết tiếng Anh
Nobody knows English

Không có ai sống ở Siberia
Nobody lives in Siberia

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28 – Permission: is it ok to do something? … được không?
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Also see # 22 “Can – có thể… được“

Được also means “to be ok”: subject + verb (+ object) + được + không?

Bà uống cái này được không? Dạ được ạ
I (old woman) drink this ok (or not)? Yes (very polite)
Is it ok for me to drink this? yes, please


Được phép means “to have permission to do something” :

subject + được phép + verb + object

Hương được phép lái xe máy
Hương has permission to ride scooter


Question: Subject + có + được phép + verb + không?

Anh Duyên có được phép lái ô tô không? Được Không được
Anh Duyên has permisssion to drive car ? Yes No
Does anh Duyên have permission to drive a car?

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29 – chưa – yet – rồi – already – then
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Also see # 21 “Have you ever… ? Có… bao giờ chưa?“

Use rồi (already) after a verb to express a past action (instead of đã + verb):

subject + verb + rồi

Chú đi về rồi
He returned already


Rồi also means then: subject + verb 1 + rồi + verb 2

Mẹ nấu ăn rồi rửa bát
mom cooks then washes dishes


Chưa can be used as yet in question:

Question: (Subject +) verb + chưa? (did you do something yet?)

It is very informal when you omit the subject and start the sentence with the verb
Answer: Rồi (yes, already) or Chưa (no, not yet)

Hiểu chưa? Hiểu rồi
Understand yet? Understand already
Do you understand yet? Yes (I understand already)


Anh Lương đã tới nơi chưa? Tới rồi
Anh Lương did arrive at the place yet? Arrived already

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30 – about to do something – sắp… chưa?
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Also see sẽ (will) and định (plan to, intend to) from # 15

To say that you’re about to do something (soon)

Subject + sắp + verb (+ object)
Anh sắp đi nghe hòa nhạc
I (male) about to go listen to concert
I’m about to go to a concert.


To ask if someone is about to do something:

Question: Subject + sắp + verb (+ object) + chưa?
Answer:

Yes – Subject + sắp + verb (+ object) + rồi
No – Subject + chưa+ verb (+ object)

Chị sắp cưới chồng chưa?
You (female) about to marry husband yet?
Are you getting married soon?

Sắp rồi tháng sau chị cưới
Yes, about to month next I (female) marry
Yes, I’m getting married next month.

Phim Avatar sắp chiếu chưa?
The movie Avatar about to be in theather yet?
Is (the movie) Avatar going to be in theater soon?

Chưa, phim Avatar còn lâu mới chiếu
Not yet Avatar long time until to be in theater
No, it’s a long time until it’s in theater.

[jackbl]

31 – There is… There are… Có…
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Có + noun (subject) + verb / adjective.
Có bốn phòng ngủ trong nhà tôi
there are 4 room sleep in house I
There are 4 bedrooms in my house.


Có một trăm người đi dự hội thảo
There are one hundred people go attend conference
There are 100 people who attend the conference.

Note: có by itself means “to have”

Nhà tôi có bốn phòng ngủ
House I has 4 room sleep
My house has 4 bedrooms

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32 – Nouns – describe things with adjectives and nouns
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In Vietnamese, to describe someone/something, you put the identifying characteristics after that person/thing. You can use adjective or noun to describe something.

object + adjective
object + noun
object + other characteristics

For example:
Color:
trời xanh mây trắng nắng vàng
sky blue cloud white sunshine yellow

Sports: soccer player
cầu thủ bóng đá
(sport team) player soccer

Job: heart surgeon
bác sĩ phẫu thuật tim
doctor surgery heart

1st year students at Hogwarts
học sinh năm một trường Hogwarts
student year 1 school Hogwarts

People
người Việt người Mỹ người Canada
people Vietnam people USA people Canada
Vietnamese, American, Canadian


In a simple sentence, subject + verb + object, you have
(subject + characteristics) + verb + (object + characteristics)

Cái xe này chạy tốt lắm
(classifier) car (vehicle) this run well very
This car runs very well.

Nhiều người Việt ở miền Tây nước Mỹ
Many people Vietnam live in region West country USA
Many Vietnamese live in the West of America (California, Portland OR, Seattle WA)