Vietnamese Grammar Bank
HOW TO SAY AS SOON AS IN VIETNAMESE
In this grammar lesson we teach you how to express “as soon as” in Vietnamese.
There are two common “as soon as” expressions in Vietnamese, which are “Ngay khi” and “Vừa mới”.
Let’s have a look.
AS SOON AS WITH NGAY KHI
To express as soon as in Vietnamese you can use Ngay khi.
It is used to emphasize that one action happens immediately after another. It connects two events that are tightly linked in time, with the second event happening right after the first.
PATTERN
Ngay khi + clause A, clause B
| Ngay khi thấy ăn trộm, tôi báo cảnh sát lập tức! | I called a police as soon as I found a thief |
| Ngay khi bị đau bụng, anh ấy uống thuốc | He took a medicine as soon as he had a stomach ache |
| Ngay khi ngồi xuống, cô ấy nhận 1 cuộc gọi | She got a call as soon as she just sat down |
AS SOON AS WITH VỪA MỚI
Another slightly different way to say as soon as in Vietnamese is Vừa mới.
It also indicates that one action happens right after another, but it conveys a sense that something just happened, or only a short time has passed.
It is often used to express actions that happened very recently or to emphasize that something has just been completed.
PATTERN
Subject + vừa mới + verb, clause
| Tôi vừa mới thấy ăn trộm, tôi báo cảnh sát lập tức! | I called a police as soon as I found a thief |
| Anh ấy vừa mới bị đau bụng, anh ấy uống thuốc | He took a medicine as soon as he had a stomach ache |
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FAQs
How to say as soon as in Vietnamese?
To express as soon as in Vietnamese you can use Ngay khi.
It is used to emphasize that one action happens immediately after another. It connects two events that are tightly linked in time, with the second event happening right after the first.
Ngay khi + clause A, clause B
Ngay khi thấy ăn trộm, tôi báo cảnh sát lập tức!
I called a police as soon as I found a thief
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Another slightly different way to say as soon as in Vietnamese is Vừa mới.
It is often used to express actions that happened very recently or to emphasize that something has just been completed.
Subject + vừa mới + verb, clause
Tôi vừa mới thấy ăn trộm, tôi báo cảnh sát lập tức!
I called a police as soon as I found a thief
Ngay khi vs vừa mới, what difference?
Ngay khi is used to emphasize that one action happens immediately after another.
Vừa mới is often used to express actions that happened very recently or to emphasize that something has just been completed.
How to say almost in Vietnamese?
Almost in Vietnamese can be expressed by using the words gần như and hầu như.
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Learn more about almost in Vietnamese here.
How to say or in Vietnamese?
Or in Vietnamese can be expressed by using the words hoặc and hay.
In Vietnamese you will use the word “hoặc” to give more than two options in a sentence.
N1/ V1/ A1 + hoặc + N2/ V2/ A2 (+ hoặc + N3/ V3/ A3)
Cái bàn hoặc cái ghế
Table or chair
Another way to say “or” in Vietnamese is with the word hay. It is used between nouns, verbs and adjectives.
The two words hay and hoặc can be use interchangeably and equally in any situation.
N1/ V1/ A1 + hay + N2/ V2/ A2 (+ hay + N3/ V3/ A3)
Con gái hay con trai
Girl or boy?
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Learn more about how to say or in Vietnamese here.
Where to find more lessons like this?
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