Vietnamese Grammar Bank
EXPRESS DEGREE IN VIETNAMESE
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to express different degrees or intensities in Vietnamese using words like hết sức, rất, càng ngày càng, and quá.
These expressions help you emphasize how strong, extreme, or gradual an action or quality is, allowing for more vivid and accurate communication.
HƠI / MỘT CHÚT… = LITTLE
“Hơi / Một chút” means “a little” or “slightly” and is used to indicate a mild or slight degree.
PATTERN
Hơi + Adjective
Adjective + Một chút
For example:
| Món canh hơi mặn | The soup is a little salty. |
| Hôm nay tôi cảm thấy hơi mệt | I feel slightly tired today |
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| Bộ phim này hơi buồn chán | This movie is a bit boring |
| Thời tiết lạnh một chút | The weather is a little cold. |
| Món ăn cay một chút | The food is slightly spicy |
| Tôi lo lắng một chút | I am a little bit nervous |
CÀNG NGÀY CÀNG… = MORE AND MORE
“Càng ngày càng” means “more and more” and is used to express a progressive increase in degree or intensity over time.
PATTERN
Càng ngày càng + Adjective
For example:
| Thời tiết càng ngày càng lạnh | The weather is getting colder and colder. |
| Thành phố càng ngày càng đông đúc. | The city is becoming more and more crowded |
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| Sức khỏe của anh ấy càng ngày càng tồi tệ | His health is getting worse and worse |
| Tiếng Anh của tôi càng ngày càng tốt hơn. | My English is getting better and better |
| Vấn đề càng ngày càng nghiêm trọng | The problem is becoming more and more serious |
| Cuốn sách càng ngày càng thú vị khi tôi đọc | The book is becoming more interesting as I read |
QUÁ… = TOO
The structure “quá” is used to indicate that something is excessively or extremely high in degree. It is equivalent to “too” or “excessively” in English.
PATTERN
Quá + Adjective
For example:
| Cái áo này quá lớn đối với tôi. | This shirt is too big for me |
| Món ăn quá cay | The food is too spicy |
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| Bây giờ đã quá muộn để ra ngoài | It’s too late to go out now |
| Cô ấy quá mệt để tiếp tục làm việc | She is too tired to continue working |
| Bộ phim quá dài. | The movie is too long |
| Thời tiết hôm nay quá nóng | The weather is too hot today |
RẤT = VERY
“Rất” is used to indicate a high degree of a quality or action, similar to “very” or “extremely” in English. While not always excessive, it often emphasizes intensity.
PATTERN
Rất + Adjective
For example:
| Cái áo này rất lớn đối với tôi. | This shirt is very big for me |
| Món ăn rất cay | The food is very spicy |
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| Bây giờ đã rất muộn để ra ngoài | It’s very late to go out now |
| Cô ấy rất mệt để tiếp tục làm việc | She is very tired to continue working |
| Bộ phim rất dài. | The movie is very long |
| Thời tiết hôm nay rất nóng | The weather is very hot today |
HẾT SỨC = TRY ONESELF BEST
This phrase emphasizes maximum effort or degree in performing an action.
PATTERN
Adjective / Verb + hết sức
Hết sức + Adjective/verb
For example:
| Cô ấy làm việc hết sức để hoàn thành dự án | She worked very hard to finish the project. |
| Tôi sẽ hết sức giúp bạn | I will try my best to help you. |
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| Anh ấy đang học tiếng Anh hết sức | He is doing his best to learn English |
| Chúng ta cần phải hết sức cẩn thận. | We need to be very careful. |
| Tôi sẽ ủng hộ bạn hết sức | I will support you to the utmost |
| Họ đang cố gắng hết sức để giành chiến thắng trong cuộc thi | They are trying their best to win the competition |
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FAQs
What is the difference between “rất” and “hết sức”?
Both mean “very,” but “hết sức” is more intense and formal than “rất”.
“Hết sức” can translate to “extremely” or “utmost.”
Can I use “quá” in both positive and negative sentences?
Yes, but “quá” often carries a negative tone (e.g., nóng quá! = “too hot!”), unless it’s clearly meant to emphasize excitement or praise.
How do I use “càng ngày càng”?
“Càng ngày càng” means “more and more” or “increasingly.”
It is used before an adjective or verb to show a growing degree over time (e.g., càng ngày càng đẹp = “more and more beautiful”).
Is it okay to combine these words in one sentence?
Usually, no.
Since each word already emphasizes degree, combining them (e.g., rất quá đẹp) would sound unnatural. Use only one degree modifier per idea.
Which of these words is used in formal vs. informal contexts?
“Rất” and “quá” are used in both casual and formal situations.
“Hết sức” is more formal, while “càng ngày càng” is neutral and suits all contexts.
Can I study in Vietnam with LTL?
Yes, you can!
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