This time, we will learn how to express causes and reasons in Vietnamese. In Vietnamese, “vì” means “because of” / “therefore” / “due to” in English and is used to indicate a cause or reason. “Nên” changes meaning depending on the context. When giving advice, “nên” means “should”, but in
Continue readingGrammar21: Passive voice
This time, we will study the passive voice in Vietnamese. Unlike in English, Vietnamese verbs do not change in the passive voice. Instead, words indicating passivity (three types) are added based on the meaning of the verb. Depending on the word used (hereafter referred to as “passive indicators”), the sentence
Continue readingGrammar20: Expressing requests, demands, and appointments
In this lesson, we will learn how to express requests, demands, and appointments in Vietnamese. In Lesson 19, we learned sentence patterns used to report what someone has heard from another person. By simply replacing the verbs in that structure, we can also express requests, demands, and appointments. Basic Sentence
Continue readingGrammar19: Expressing thoughts and speech
In this lesson, we will learn how to express thoughts (what we are thinking) and speech in Vietnamese. When conveying one’s thoughts or something heard from others, we use specific “thought and speech-related verbs” to construct sentences. What are Thought and Speech-Related Verbs? In English, when you want to express
Continue readingGrammar18: Comparison
In this lesson, we will learn how to express comparisons in Vietnamese. When using words that describe states (such as adjectives) for comparison, there are three types of comparison structures in Vietnamese: Equal Comparison (So sánh bằng) To say “A is as ~ as B”, use “bằng”. A + Adjectives
Continue readingGrammar17: Giving advice using “nên” / “không nên”
In Vietnamese, giving advice typically involves using auxiliary verbs like “nên” (should) or “không nên” (should not), which come before the main verb. This structure helps convey the idea of what is recommended or suggested. Sentence Structure: “nên” / “không nên” Affirmative sentence: Subjects (Nouns or Personal pronouns) + nên
Continue readingGrammar16: Expressing desires with “Tôi muốn ~”
In this lesson, we will learn how to express desires such as “I want to do ~” or “I want ~” in Vietnamese. Vietnamese also has a structure to express desires similar to English. However, the difference is that in Vietnamese, there is no distinction in the structure when expressing
Continue readingConversation 15: Give a souvenir/Tặng quà lưu niệm
CONVERSATION SAMPLE: John Đây là đặc sản của Huế. This is a specialty from Hue. Mai Cám ơn anh. Chuyến du lịch có vui không? Thank you. Did you enjoy your trip? John Chuyến du lịch rất vui và thuận lợi, nhưng Huế rất nóng. The trip was great and
Continue readingConversation 17: When encountering theft or loss/Khi gặp trộm cắp hay thất lạc
CONVERSATION SAMPLE: Mai Có chuyện gì vậy ? What’s wrong? John Tôi bị mất điện thoại di động. I lost my mobile phone. Mai Anh đã mất điện thoại ở đâu? Where did you lose your phone? John Tôi để quên trên tắc-xi. I left it in the taxi. Mai
Continue readingConversation 20: Go to the hospital/Đi bệnh viện
CONVERSATION SAMPLE: Staff Chào anh. Anh bị sao vậy? Hello. What’s wrong? John Chào chị. Tôi bị sốt và ho từ hôm qua. Hello. I have had a fever and cough since yesterday. Ở đây có bác sĩ nào nói tiếng Pháp không? Is there any doctor here who speaks
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