In this lesson, we will study Vietnamese tenses.
Unlike English, where verbs change in both regular and irregular ways based on tense, Vietnamese does not have such concerns. Instead, Vietnamese uses time-related words or tense markers to indicate past, future, and other tenses.
Vietnamese Tenses
All the sentence structures introduced so far have been in the present tense.
In Vietnamese, if no additional words are used, the sentence is generally understood to be in the present tense, similar to Japanese.
To express past, future, or other tenses, follow these three rules:
1. Using time-related words (e.g., “yesterday,” “next year,” “now”)
If a time-related word is present in the sentence, it automatically indicates the tense, eliminating the need for additional tense markers.
Example sentences:
①Hôm qua, tôi đi ăn với gia đình.
Yesterday, I went to eat with my family.
②Tôi đi chơi với bạn vào ngày mai.
I will go out with friends tomorrow.
2. Using tense markers when no time-related words are present
If no time-related words are present in the sentence, then a tense marker (listed in the next section) is added before the verb or adjective.
Example sentences:
①Tôi đã đi ăn với gia đình.
I went to eat with my family.
②Tôi sẽ đi chơi với bạn.
I will go out with friends.
3. Using both time-related words and tense markers for emphasis
If both a time-related word and a tense marker are used in the same sentence, it emphasizes the tense more clearly.
Example sentences:
①Hôm qua, tôi đã đi ăn với gia đình.
Yesterday, I went to eat with my family.
②Tôi sẽ đi chơi với bạn vào ngày mai.
I will go out with friends tomorrow.
Tense Markers in Vietnamese
| Tense | Tense Marker | Example Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past Tense | đã | Tôi đã học tiếng Việt. | I studied Vietnamese. |
| Future Tense | sẽ | Tôi sẽ đi Nhật Bản. | I will go to Japan. |
| Progressive (Present Continuous) | đang | Tôi đang làm việc. | I am working. |
| Recent Past | vừa mới | Tôi vừa mới ăn xong. | I just finished eating. |
| Near Future | sắp | Tôi sắp đi công tác. | I am about to go on a business trip. |
Time-Related Words in Vietnamese
Time-related words can replace tense markers when used at the beginning or end of a sentence.
Example sentences
① Tháng sau, tôi sẽ đi Nhật Bản.
Next month, I will go to Japan.
② Anh ấy đã nộp báo cáo hôm qua.
He submitted the report yesterday.
Practice Questions:
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate tense marker (đã, sẽ, đang, vừa mới, sắp).
① Ngày mai, tôi ___ đi hẹn hò.
Tomorrow, I will go on a date.
② A: Em đã ăn tối chưa?
Have you had dinner yet?
B: Vâng, em ___ ăn tối rồi.
Yes, I have eaten./Yes, I just ate.
③ Xin mọi người ổn định chỗ ngồi, buổi biểu diễn ___ bắt đầu.
Please take your seats. The performance is about to start.
④ Anh ấy không bắt máy. Có lẽ anh ấy ___ lái xe.
He is not answering the phone. Maybe he is driving.
⑤ A: Anh học tiếng Việt bao lâu rồi?
How long have you been studying Vietnamese?
B: Tôi ___ bắt đầu học từ tuần trước.
I just started studying last week.