MOST COMMON VERBS IN VIETNAMESE YOU MUST KNOW

When learning a new language, the best way to begin is by learning the vocabulary words that native speakers use the most. When you want to learn Vietnamese, you should begin with the most common verbs in Vietnamese. Let’s explore those verbs with Jellyfish in this article!

1. What are Vietnamese verbs?

Verbs in Vietnamese are used to talk about the actions of people and animals. They are considered as one of the indispensable parts to make up a complete sentence, even the simplest ones.

However, unlike other languages, you won’t need Vietnamese verb conjugation. That is, the verb will not change regardless of the pronoun or the tense of the sentence.

Example:

  • I eat cake -> Tôi ăn bánh
  • He eats cake -> Anh ấy ăn bánh
  • We eat cake -> Chúng tôi ăn bánh

verbs in Vietnamese

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2. Some common verbs in Vietnamese

VietnameseEnglishExample
Là (used to introduce someone’s profession, work)

Note: When you want to describe someone or something, you don’t need to use the word “is”.

-> Cô ấy đẹp (She is beautiful)

To be (Am/ Is/ Are/ Was/ Were)
  • Tôi học sinh (I am a student)
  • Anh ấy bác sĩ (He is a doctor)

Ở (used to talk about someone’s location)

To be in/at a location; to stay
  • Mình Việt Nam (I am in Vietnam)
  • Mình nhà (I am stay at home)
Có To have
  • Mình một quyển sách và 1 cái bút (I have a book and a pen)
  • Nhà tôi 5 người (My family has 5 people)
ThíchTo like
  • Anh ấy không thích đồ ngọt (He doesn’t like sweet stuff)
  • Tôi thích đi du lịch (I like travelling)
Làm (this word can have many meanings)To do; to work; to make
  • Bạn đang làm gì vậy? (What are you doing?)
  • Cô ấy thường làm đồ ăn cho gia đình (She often makes food for her family
  • Bạn làm việc ở đâu (Where do you work?)
BiếtTo knowMình không biết chỗ đó (I don’t know that place)
NóiTo speak/ To sayMình biết nói một ít tiếng Nhật (I know how to speak a little Japanese)
NgheTo hear/ To listenMình không nghe rõ (I didn’t hear clearly)
HiểuTo understandMình không hiểu bài giảng hôm nay (I don’t understand today’s lesson)
ĐiTo goTuần sau mình sẽ đi Nhật Bản (Next week I’ll go to Japan)
ĂnTo eatEm trai tôi không ăn được cay (My brother can’t eat spicy things)
UốngTo drinkAnh ấy không thích uống rượu (He doesn’t like drinking alcohol)
LấyTo take/ To get
  • Mình sẽ lấy cái này (I’ll take this one)
  • Lấy giúp mình cái ghế với (Get me a chair, please)
NghĩTo thinkTôi nghĩ chiều nay trời sẽ mưa (I think it’s about to rain this afternoon)
Tới/ ĐếnTo come to/ To arriveAnh ấy sẽ tới Việt Nam vào tháng sau (He’ll come to Vietnam next month)
MuốnTo wantTôi muốn trở thành bác sĩ trong tương lai (I want to become a doctor in the future)
MuaTo buyMẹ tôi thích mua hoa quả ở chợ (My mother like buying fruits in the market)
BánTo sellCửa hàng này bán quần áo cho nữ (This store sells women clothing)
DùngTo take/ To useCái này dùng để làm gì? (This one is used to do what?)
ChoTo give/ To take/ To putAnh trai cho tôi 2 vé xem phim (My brother gave me 2 movie tickets)
HỏiTo askAnh ấy hỏi ý kiến Sếp trước khi làm việc (He asked boss’s opinion before he works)
NhìnTo look atTôi nhìn quyển sách một lúc lâu (I looked at the book for a long time)

In today’s article, Jellyfish has synthesized the simplest and most common verbs in Vietnamese along with examples that you can use in everyday conversations, especially suitable for new Vietnamese learners. Learning Vietnamese with different topics will help you easily practice and memorize vocabulary. Regular practice is the most effective, especially when you’re learning a new language!

If you are looking for a comprehensive Vietnamese course that will help you communicate with native speakers naturally and understand more about Vietnamese culture. Please refer some special courses at Jellyfish:

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