Common Verbs in Vietnamese: 25 Everyday Verbs You Should Know

Verbs in Vietnamese are one of the first things every beginner should learn. They help you describe actions, express ideas, and build simple sentences for everyday communication. In this guide, Learning Vietnamese – Jellyfish Vietnam introduces the most common verbs in Vietnamese with meanings, example sentences, and practical tips to help you speak naturally.

1. What Are Verbs in Vietnamese?

Verbs in Vietnamese describe actions, states, or activities. They are an essential part of almost every sentence and are used in everyday conversations.

Unlike English, verbs in Vietnamese do not change their form according to the subject or tense. Instead, Vietnamese uses time expressions or particles to indicate when an action happens.

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. Common Verbs in Vietnamese

The table below lists some of the most common verbs in Vietnamese for beginners. Mastering these verbs will help you understand daily conversations and build simple sentences more confidently.

Vietnamese English Example
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)
Thích To 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?)
Biết To know Mình không biết chỗ đó (I don’t know that place)
Nói To speak/ To say Mình biết nói một ít tiếng Nhật (I know how to speak a little Japanese)
Nghe To hear/ To listen Mình không nghe rõ (I didn’t hear clearly)
Hiểu To understand Mình không hiểu bài giảng hôm nay (I don’t understand today’s lesson)
Đi To go Tuần sau mình sẽ đi Nhật Bản (Next week I’ll go to Japan)
Ăn To eat Em trai tôi không ăn được cay (My brother can’t eat spicy things)
Uống To drink Anh ấy không thích uống rượu (He doesn’t like drinking alcohol)
Lấy To take/ To get
  • Mình sẽ lấy cái này (I’ll take this one)
  • Lấy giúp mình cái ghế với (Get me a chair, please)
Nghĩ To think Tôi nghĩ chiều nay trời sẽ mưa (I think it’s about to rain this afternoon)
Tới/ Đến To come to/ To arrive Anh ấy sẽ tới Việt Nam vào tháng sau (He’ll come to Vietnam next month)
Muốn To want Tôi muốn trở thành bác sĩ trong tương lai (I want to become a doctor in the future)
Mua To buy Mẹ tôi thích mua hoa quả ở chợ (My mother like buying fruits in the market)
Bán To sell Cửa hàng này bán quần áo cho nữ (This store sells women clothing)
Dùng To take/ To use Cái này dùng để làm gì? (This one is used to do what?)
Cho To give/ To take/ To put Anh trai cho tôi 2 vé xem phim (My brother gave me 2 movie tickets)
Hỏi To ask Anh ấy hỏi ý kiến Sếp trước khi làm việc (He asked boss’s opinion before he works)
Nhìn To look at Tôi nhìn quyển sách một lúc lâu (I looked at the book for a long time)
Viết  To write Tôi đã viết thư cho bạn. (I wrote letters to my friend.)
Đọc  To read Tôi thích đọc sách. (I like reading books.)
Mở  To open Quán cà phê sẽ mở cửa vào 8 giờ sáng ngày mai (The coffee shop will open 8 am tomorrow.)
Đóng To close Cô ấy đóng cửa sổ. (She closes the window.)
Ngủ To Sleep Tôi ngủ lúc 10 giờ. (I sleep at 10 o’clock.)
Yêu To love Anh yêu em (I love you.)
Học To study/ learn Anh ấy đã học tiếng Việt được 6 tháng rồi (He had learned Vietnamese for 6 months.) 

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3. Tips for Learning Verbs in Vietnamese

Learning verbs in Vietnamese becomes much easier when you use them in real-life situations. Instead of memorizing long vocabulary lists, focus on understanding how each verb is used in everyday conversations.

Here are a few practical tips for beginners:

  • Learn verbs by topic, such as food, travel, family, or work. This helps you remember related vocabulary more easily.
  • Practice with example sentences rather than learning single words. Seeing a verb in context makes it easier to understand and use correctly.
  • Use new verbs every day. Try writing a few simple sentences or using them in short conversations.
  • Listen to native speakers through videos, podcasts, or conversations to learn natural pronunciation and common expressions.
  • Review regularly. Revisiting previously learned verbs is one of the best ways to build long-term memory.

The more often you use Vietnamese verbs in speaking, listening, reading, and writing, the more natural they will become.

=>>> See more: Basic Vietnamese vocabulary

Conclusion

Learning verbs in Vietnamese is one of the most effective ways to start communicating in everyday situations. By mastering common action verbs and practicing them in simple sentences, you’ll build a stronger vocabulary and gain confidence in speaking Vietnamese naturally.

Keep reviewing these verbs regularly, use them in daily conversations, and explore more topic-based vocabulary to improve your Vietnamese step by step.

If you’d like structured lessons with native teachers and practical speaking practice, explore more learning resources or register for a Vietnamese course at Learning Vietnamese – Jellyfish Vietnam. Our programs are designed to help learners communicate confidently in real-life situations from the very first lessons.


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