Vietnamese Grammar Bank
VIETNAMESE CONDITIONAL
Conditional sentences in Vietnamese are used to express situations where one action depends on another.
This lesson will explore how to form and use conditional sentences with “nếu” (if) for both real and hypothetical scenarios.
SAYING “IF” WITH NẾU….THÌ…
In order to express “If…” in Vietnamese, you can follow this pattern:
PATTERN
Nếu (if) + if-clause A, thì (so) + main clause
NOTE || If not is said “Nếu không,…” and is only used at the beginning of the sentence.
For example:
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| Nếu anh không đi làm thì anh sẽ không có tiền | If you don’t go to work, you will not have money |
| Nếu em muốn khoẻ thì em hãy tập thể dục! | If you want to stay healthy, you should do exercises |
| Nếu em buồn thì anh sẽ ở đây với em | If you are sad, I will be here with you! |
| Em học bài đi! Nếu không, em trễ deadline | Study, please! If not, you will be late with the deadlines |
| Đi ngủ đi! Nếu không, sáng mai em dậy không được | Sleep, please! If not, you can’t wake up tomorrow |
| Ăn đi! Nếu không, em sẽ đói | Eat, please! If not, you will be hung |
SAYING “IF ONLY” WITH GIÁ NHƯ….
In order to express “if only” in Vietnamese, you can use “Giá như” to describe something you can do better to avoid the unpleasant result.
PATTERN
Giá như + if-clause, main clause
For example:
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| Giá như tôi có nhiều tiền, tôi sẽ mua nhà | If only I’d had a lot of money, I would buy a house |
| Giá như tôi không đi trễ, tôi sẽ không bị trừ lương | If only I’d not been late, my salary would have not been deducted |
| Giá như tôi đi ngủ sớm, hôm nay tôi không đi làm trễ | If only I’d slept earlier, I would have not been so late for work |
| Giá như tôi chăm chỉ hơn, bây giờ tôi đã giàu | If only I’d been more hard-working, I would have been so rich right now |
| Giá như tôi gặp em sớm hơn, bây giờ tôi sẽ rất hạnh phúc | If only I’d met you earlier, I would have been so happy now |
SAYING “ONLY WHEN” WITH TRỪ KHI….
In order to say “unless”, or “only when” you can use the pattern below:
PATTERN
Trừ khi + conditional-clause, thì (so) + subject + mới + verb
For example:
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| Trừ khi tôi có nhiều tiền thì tôi mới mua nhà | Only when I have a lot of money, so I can buy a house |
| Trừ khi tôi không đi trễ thì tôi mới không bị trừ lương | Only when I am not late for work, so my salary won’t be deducted |
| Trừ khi tôi đi ngủ sớm thì tôi mới không đi làm trễ | Only when I go to bed early, so I never be late for work |
| Trừ khi tôi chăm chỉ hơn, thì tôi mới giàu | Only when I am more hard-working, so I can become rich |
| Trừ khi tôi gặp em, thì tôi mới hạnh phúc | Only when I met you earlier, so I would be happy |
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FAQs
How to form conditional sentences?
Conditional sentences in Vietnamese are typically formed using “nếu” (if) at the beginning of the condition clause, followed by the result clause.
For example, “Nếu trời mưa, tôi sẽ ở nhà” (If it rains, I will stay home).
Can conditional sentences in Vietnamese omit the word “nếu”?
Yes, in some cases, “nếu” can be omitted if the context makes the condition clear, especially in informal speech.
For example, “Trời mưa thì tôi sẽ ở nhà” (If it rains, I will stay home) omits “nếu.”
Is the word order in Vietnamese conditional sentences the same as in English?
Yes, the word order in Vietnamese conditional sentences is similar to English, with the condition clause first (starting with “nếu”) and the result clause following.
However, these clauses can also be reversed, just like in English.
Can conditional sentences in Vietnamese omit the word “nếu”?
Yes, in some cases, “nếu” can be omitted if the context makes the condition clear, especially in informal speech.
For example, “Trời mưa thì tôi sẽ ở nhà” (If it rains, I will stay home) omits “nếu.”
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