Vietnamese Grammar Bank
VIETNAMESE SENTENCE STRUCTURE
In this free grammar lesson, we will teach you the most basic Vietnamese sentence structures.
You will be able to use them immediately in your daily life. Let’s check it out!
SUBJECT + NOUN
To give an introduction about a person or a thing, make a statement, use the following sentence structure:
PATTERN
Subject + là + Noun
NOTE – “là” in Vietnamese language functions as am/is/are in English.
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| Tôi là David | I am David |
| Anh ấy là giáo viên | He is a teacher |
| Cô ấy là bác sĩ | She is a doctor |
SUBJECT+ ADJECTIVES
In the Vietnamese language, to-be verbs are not placed before an adjective as it does in English. You just need to add the adjective behind a subject.
PATTERN
Subject + Adjective
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| Tôi đẹp | I am pretty |
| Anh ấy xấu | He is ugly |
| Chị ấy thông minh | She is smart |
SUBJECT + VERB
To indicate or state an action, you can use the sentence structure below:
PATTERN
Subject + Verb
Examples:
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| Tôi ăn | I eat |
| Anh ấy uống | He drinks |
| Chị ấy ngủ | She sleeps |
NOTE – Unlike English, there is no verb conjugation to show different subjects or tenses in Vietnamese language. There are tense words added before a verb to define past, present and future tenses.
For example:
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| Tôi đã ăn | I ate |
| Anh ấy uống | He drinks |
| Chị ấy đang ngủ | She is sleeping |
| Chúng tôi sẽ học | We will study |
SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT
To make a sentence more detailed and informative, you can add an object to the structure the same way as in English.
PATTERN
Subject + Verb + Object
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| Tôi ăn cơm | I eat rice |
| Anh ấy uống nước | He drinks water |
| Chị ấy học Tiếng Việt | She studies Vietnamese |
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FAQs
What are some basic Vietnamese sentence structures?
The most basic sentence structures in Vietnamese are as follow:
Subject + “là” + Noun
Tôi là David // I am David
Subject + Adjective
Anh ấy xấu // He is ugly
Subject + Verb + Object
Chị ấy học Tiếng Việt // She studies Vietnamese
What is “là” in Vietnamese?
“là” in Vietnamese language functions as am/is/are in English.
Cô ấy là bác sĩ // She is a doctor
Are verbs conjugated in Vietnamese?
Unlike English, there is no verb conjugation to show different subjects or tenses in Vietnamese language.
Tense words added before a verb to define past, present and future tenses.
Is Vietnamese a SVO or SOV?
The Vietnamese language structure is SVO, meaning sentences are built according to Subject + Verb + Object.
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