In Vietnamese grammar, nouns – adjectives – verbs are 3 types of words that are very important in expressing sentences and also contribute to the richness of Vietnamese language. To help you remember Vietnamese adjectives longer, let’s refer to the article below with Jellyfish!
I. Definition of Vietnamese adjectives
Adjectives are words used to describe the state, color, shape of people, things or natural phenomena. Besides, adjectives are also words used to describe the mood and feelings of things and people.
Example:
- Anh ấy là một bác sĩ có tay nghề giỏi ở bệnh viện này (He is a skilled doctor in this hospital).
- Chiếc váy mà cô ấy mặc hôm qua có màu vàng (The dress she wore yesterday was yellow).
See more: Learning vietnamese for foreigner
II. Position and function of Vietnamese adjectives
Compared to English, the position of adjectives in Vietnamese is slightly different because their position is unstable and can change depending on the context. Let’s explore with Jellyfish in the section below!
2.1. Functions of Vietnamese adjectives
The main role of Vietnamese adjectives is to combine with verbs and nouns to add meaning in terms of properties, characteristics and levels to those words.
Example:
- Chiếc váy này rất đẹp (This dress is very beautiful) – The adjective “đẹp” (beautiful) adds meaning to the noun “chiếc này này” (this dress).
2.2. Position of Vietnamese adjectives
Usually, adjectives in Vietnamese usually come after the noun they represent.
Noun + adjective + predicate
Ví dụ:
Quyển sách thú vị này do tác giả Nguyên Hồng viết (This interesting book is written by Nguyen Hong author).
In Vietnamese grammar, a predicate includes a verb (verb phrase) or an adjective (adjective phrase). Besides, adjectives sometimes act as predicates in sentences, usually at the end of sentences.
Example:
- Cô gái xinh đẹp này là bạn gái của anh trai tôi (This pretty girl is my brother’s girlfriend).
- Hành động của anh ấy làm tôi thấy rất khó hiểu (His actions make me very confused).
See more: Basic Vietnamese grammar
III. Types of adjectives in Vietnamese
In Vietnamese, adjectives are divided into many different types with different characteristics and ways of recognition. In Vietnamese, adjectives are divided into 5 main categories:
- Tính từ chỉ đặc điểm (Feature adjectives)
- Tính từ chỉ tính chất (Character adjectives)
- Tính từ chỉ trạng thái (Status adjectives)
- Tính từ tự thân (Self-adjectives)
- Tính từ không tự thân (Non-self adjectives)
3.1. Feature adjectives
It can be said that this is one of the most common Vietnamese adjectives which are used by native speakers in daily communication. Feature adjectives are often used to describe the characteristics of an inherent thing or phenomenon such as an object, animal, person, or any thing that can be compared in quality.
Identification sign:
- External characteristics of things or events that you can observe or perceive with the senses.
- Characteristics of personality, emotions, psychology of people or the value of things or events.
| Tiếng Việt | Tiếng Anh |
| Cao | High |
| Thấp | Short |
| Dài | Long |
| Rộng | Large |
| Hẹp | Narrow |
| Chật | Tight |
| Tốt bụng | Kind |
| Giỏi giang | Talented |
| Chăm chỉ | Hard-working |
| Bền bỉ | Enduring |
| Xinh/Đẹp | Beautiful |
| Xấu | Ugly |
| Đỏ | Red |
| Vàng | Yellow |
Example:
- Cái quần này quá chật nên tôi không thể mặc vừa (These pants are too tight for me to fit).
- Chị gái tôi vô cùng tốt bụng và giỏi giang (My sister is very kind and talented).
See more: Color in vietnamese
3.2. Character Vietnamese adjectives
These are adjectives used to describe internal characteristics that humans cannot perceive with their senses, but can be deduced.
Identification sign: based on their external appearance, the knowledge people have about them to synthesize, analyze and draw conclusions about internal quality.
| Tiếng Việt | Tiếng Anh |
| Hư | Bad |
| Ngoan | Docile |
| Xấu xa | Evil |
| Vụng về | Clumsy |
| Suôn sẻ | Smooth |
| Thiết thực | Practical |
| Nông cạn | Shallow |
| Sâu sắc | Profound |
| Hiệu quả | Effective |
| Thông suốt | Broad-minded |
Example:
- Tôi rất vui vì quá trình chuyển nhà của tôi diễn ra rất suôn sẻ (I’m so glad as my house movement went so smoothly).
- Kiến thức về sinh học của anh ấy khá nông cạn (His knowledge of biology is quite shallow).
See more: Greetings in Vietnamese
3.3. Status Vietnamese adjectives
This type of adjective is used to talk about the natural or temporary state of a person or thing existing at a certain time. Moreover, status adjectives also refer to the change in the state of things, events, and people in real time that can be observed with the eyes.
| Tiếng Việt | Tiếng Anh |
| Đau | Painful |
| Ồn ào | Noisy |
| Dữ dội | Excruciating |
| Yên tĩnh | Quiet |
| Yên bình | Peaceful |
| Hôn mê | Comatose |
| Hèn nhát | Cowardice |
| Náo nhiệt | Bustle |
| Ốm | Sick |
| Khỏe | Strong |
Example:
- Khu phố nhà tôi thường rất yên tĩnh vào ban đêm (My neighborhood is usually very quiet at night).
- Sóng biển dữ dội nên chúng tôi không thể tắm biển hôm nay (The waves were so strong that we couldn’t swim today).
Jellyfish has compiled this article with all of the knowledge to answer the question “What are Vietnamese adjectives?” that everyone who learns Vietnamese must remember. We hope that this article simplifies and clarifies your Vietnamese learning process, particularly with adjectives.
If you are looking for a comprehensive Vietnamese course that will help you communicate with native speakers naturally and better understand Vietnamese culture. Please refer to the special courses at Jellyfish:
- Elementary Vietnamese Course
- Intermediate Vietnamese
- Advanced Vietnamese Course
- Vietnamese communication course
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