Vietnamese Grammar Bank
HOW TO SAY INSTEAD IN VIETNAMESE
To suggest an alternative or express doing one thing “instead” of doing another in Vietnamese, two terms are commonly used.
In this lesson we teach you how to use “thay vì” and “thay vào đó”.
INSTEAD OF…
To express doing one thing “instead” of doing another in Vietnamese, the following structure is used.
It introduces an alternative action or choice that replaces something else.
PATTERN
Thay vì + clause A, clause B (alternative option)
| Thay vì chị chia tay anh ấy, chị nên lắng nghe anh ấy giải thích | Instead of breaking up with him, you should listen to his explanation |
| Thay vì ăn bánh mì, mình muốn ăn phở | Instead of eating banh mi, I want to eat Pho |
| Thay vì đi du lịch Nhật Bản, mình muốn đi du lịch Hàn Quốc | Instead of traveling to Japan, I want to travel to Korea |
View More Examples:
| Thay vì chúng mình cãi nhau, chúng mình im lặng và làm việc | Instead of fighting to each other, we should keep quiet and focus on work |
| Thay vì mọi người ghét nhau, mọi người nên lắng nghe và yêu thương hơn | Instead of hating each other, everyone should listen and love each other more! |
INSTEAD
Another way to express doing one thing “instead” of doing another thing in Vietnamese is Thay vào đó.
It is used to introduce an alternative or replacement action, often after stating what was done or considered. It’s like saying “in place of that” or “instead of that.”
PATTERN
Clause A + Thay vào đó + clause B (alternative option)
| Anh ngủ ở nhà cả ngày rồi! Thay vào đó, anh nên chạy bộ 5 phút | You’ve been sleeping all day!You should go running in 5 minutes instead! |
| Em xem phim 30 phút rồi! Thay vào đó, em học Tiếng Anh 30 phút | You’ve been watching a movie in 30 minutes!You should study English in 30 minutes instead! |
| Đi chơi với anh chán quá! Thay vào đó, em thích ở nhà và xem phim hơn ! | It’s so boring to go out with you. I’d rather stay home and watch a movie instead! |
View More Examples:
| Em không thích học đại học lúc 18 tuổi. Thay vào đó, em đi làm | I don’t like going to university at 18. I work instead. |
| Bạn ngồi khóc làm gì! Thay vào đó, bạn nên đi ngủ | You are crying for what?! You should sleep instead! |
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FAQs
How to say instead in Vietnamese?
To express doing one thing “instead” of doing another thing in Vietnamese is Thay vào đó.
It is used to introduce an alternative or replacement action, often after stating what was done or considered. It’s like saying “in place of that” or “instead of that.”
Clause A + Thay vào đó + clause B (alternative option)
Anh ngủ ở nhà cả ngày rồi! Thay vào đó, anh nên chạy bộ 5 phút
You’ve been sleeping all day!You should go running in 5 minutes instead!
How to say instead of in Vietnamese?
To express doing one thing “instead” of doing another in Vietnamese, the following structure is used.
It introduces an alternative action or choice that replaces something else.
PATTERN
Thay vì + clause A, clause B (alternative option)
Thay vì chị chia tay anh ấy, chị nên lắng nghe anh ấy giải thích
Instead of breaking up with him, you should listen to his explanation
How to say if in Vietnamese?
To express if in Vietnamese you’ll need to use the words Nếu or Nếu như.
Nếu/ Nếu như + Clause 1, Clause 2
Nếu anh không đến được, nhớ báo em nhá!
If you can’t come, let me know!
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Learn more about if in Vietnamese here.
How to say if not in Vietnamese?
If not in Vietnamese is Nếu không. You need to use the following structure:
Nếu không + Verb, Clause
Nếu không thích, anh cứ về
If (you) not like it, just leave
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Learn more about if in Vietnamese here.
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