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 |
View More Examples:
| Chúng tôi là người Việt Nam | We are Vietnamese |
| Họ là người Mỹ | They are American |
| Bánh mì là đồ ăn Việt Nam | Banh mi is a Vietnamese food |
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 |
View More Examples:
| Chúng tôi ngu ngốc | We are stupid |
| Họ thân thiện | They are friendly |
| Bánh mì ngon | Banh mi is delicious |
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 |
View More Examples:
| Chúng tôi đọc sách | We read a book |
| Họ nghe nhạc | They listen to music |
| Con mèo bắt con chuột | A cat catches a mouse |
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SIMILAR RESOURCES
Download the free Mandarin eBook for a guide packed with all the LTL resources available online!
Want to learn more? Check out these other free resources:
- Discover the Korean sentence structure
- Discover the Japanese sentence structure
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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MORE FREE LESSONS
-
Basic sentence structure
Subject + là + Noun -
Present tense in Vietnamese
Subject + Verb + (present time adverb) -
Past simple tense in Vietnamese
Subject + đã + verb + (past tense time adverb) -
Future tense in Vietnamese
Subject + will + verb + (future time adverb) -
Continuous tense in Vietnamese
Subject + đang + verb + (time adverb) -
How to use pronouns in Vietnamese
Tôi, Mình, Bạn, Con, Cháu, Em etc -
Plurals in Vietnamese
Những / Các + counter + singular noun -
Negative sentences in Vietnamese
không + Verb / Adjective -
Using adjectives in Vietnamese
Subject + Adjective -
Using adverbs in Vietnamese
Verb + Adverb -
Prepositions in Vietnamese
Subject + ở (to be) + prepositions + object -
Asking questions in Vietnamese
Clause + gì? -
Numbers in Vietnamese
- -
Vietnamese counters
Number + cái + non-living thing -
Writing dates in Vietnamese
Week day + date + month + year -
Telling time in Vietnamese
Number + Giờ + Number + Phút + Number + Giây -
Expressing "because" in Vietnamese
Vì / Do/ Bởi vì + Noun -
Expressing "but" in Vietnamese
Clause 1 + nhưng / nhưng mà / mà + Clause 2 -
Expressing "and" in Vietnamese
Noun 1 + và + Noun 2 -
"Should" & "shouldn't" in Vietnamese
Subject + nên + verb -
Expressing similarities in Vietnamese
Noun 1 + giống như + Noun 2 -
Making requests in Vietnamese
Subject + vui lòng + verb + ạ! -
Expressing "as soon as" in Vietnamese
Ngay khi + clause A, clause B -
Expressing "not yet" in Vietnamese
Subject + chưa + verb -
Expressing desire in Vietnamese
Subject + muốn + noun / verb / adjective -
How to say "very" in Vietnamese
Rất + adjective! -
Giving directions in Vietnamese
Làm sao + đi đến + destination? -
Expressing capacity in Vietnamese
Có thể + Verb