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 sentences containing “vì”, it expresses the result of a cause.
Basic Sentence Structure
Example Sentences:
① Vì trời mưa nên chúng tôi ở nhà.
It is raining, so we stay at home.
② Vì mẹ bị ốm nên anh ấy rất buồn.
His mother is sick, so he is sad.
③ Vì đường đông nên tôi đã đến muộn 10 phút.
The road was crowded, so I was 10 minutes late.
Note: If the subject causing the reason and the subject experiencing the result are the same, the subject after “vì” can be omitted.
④ Vì bận họp nên anh ấy không bắt máy.
He was busy in a meeting, so he couldn’t answer the phone.
⑤ Vì bị ốm nên chị ấy không đi làm.
She was sick, so she didn’t go to work.
⑥ Vì được sếp khen nên tôi rất vui.
I was praised by my boss, so I am very happy.
Alternative Expression
In some cases, “vì” can appear in the second part of the sentence.
Example Sentences:
① Tôi không ăn cơm vì tôi đang giảm cân.
I don’t eat rice because I’m on a diet.
② Anh ấy đi làm muộn vì kẹt xe.
He was late for work because of a traffic jam.
③ Em trai tôi bị mắng vì về muộn.
My younger brother was scolded because he came home late.
④ Anh ấy được sếp khen vì đạt kết quả bán hàng tốt.
He was praised by his boss because he achieved good sales results.
Question Sentences
When asking about a cause or reason, the above sentence structure is used. The interrogative “vì sao” (“why?” / “how come?”) differs from other question words in that it always comes at the beginning of the sentence.
Example Sentences:
① Vì sao anh đi làm muộn?
Why were you late for work?
② Vì sao em không ăn cơm?
Why don’t you eat rice?