Language/Vietnamese/Grammar/Adjectives

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Vietnamese → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Adjectives and Adverbs → Adjectives

Introduction

In this lesson, we will explore the fascinating world of Vietnamese adjectives. Adjectives are an essential part of any language, as they allow us to describe and express our thoughts about people, objects, and experiences. By learning Vietnamese adjectives, you will be able to add depth and color to your conversations, making your language skills more nuanced and expressive.

Vietnamese adjectives, like in many other languages, are used to describe nouns and provide additional information about them. They can describe qualities such as size, color, shape, and more. Learning how to use adjectives correctly will greatly enhance your ability to communicate in Vietnamese.

Throughout this lesson, we will cover the basics of Vietnamese adjectives, including their formation, placement in sentences, and agreement with nouns. We will also explore some common adjectives and their usage in everyday conversations. By the end of this lesson, you will have a solid understanding of Vietnamese adjectives and be able to use them confidently in your own speech and writing.

So let's dive into the world of Vietnamese adjectives and discover the beauty they bring to the language!

Basic Concepts

Before we delve into the specifics of Vietnamese adjectives, let's take a moment to understand some basic concepts.

What Are Adjectives?

Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns. They provide additional information about the noun, such as its color, size, shape, or qualities. In Vietnamese, adjectives play a crucial role in expressing our thoughts and opinions about the world around us.

Here are a few examples of adjectives in English:

• The beautiful flower
• The tall building
• The delicious food

In these examples, "beautiful," "tall," and "delicious" are adjectives that describe the noun that follows them.

Adjective Formation

In Vietnamese, adjectives are typically formed by adding a suffix to a root word or by using a compound word. The suffixes and compound words used to form adjectives can vary depending on the desired meaning.

For example, to form an adjective meaning "big" in Vietnamese, we can add the suffix "-to" to the root word "lớn," resulting in "lớn-to" (big). Similarly, to form an adjective meaning "beautiful," we can combine the words "đẹp" (beautiful) and "mắt" (eye) to create "đẹp-mắt" (beautiful).

Placement of Adjectives

In Vietnamese, adjectives generally come after the noun they describe. This is different from English, where adjectives usually come before the noun. Let's look at some examples to illustrate this difference:

English: The red car Vietnamese: Chiếc xe màu đỏ

English: A tall man Vietnamese: Một người đàn ông cao

As you can see, the adjective "red" comes before the noun "car" in English, while in Vietnamese, the adjective "màu đỏ" (red) comes after the noun "xe" (car). This difference in word order is an important aspect of Vietnamese grammar to keep in mind when using adjectives.

Agreement with Nouns

In Vietnamese, adjectives agree with nouns in terms of gender and number. This means that the form of the adjective may change depending on the gender and number of the noun it describes.

For example, let's look at the adjective "đẹp" (beautiful) used to describe a feminine noun and a plural noun:

• A beautiful girl: Cô gái đẹp
• Beautiful girls: Những cô gái đẹp

In these examples, the adjective "đẹp" agrees with the feminine noun "cô gái" (girl) and the plural noun "những cô gái" (girls) by adding the appropriate endings.

Now that we have a basic understanding of Vietnamese adjectives, let's explore some common adjectives and their usage in everyday conversations.

Common Adjectives

In this section, we will introduce you to some common Vietnamese adjectives and provide examples of their usage. These adjectives are frequently used in everyday conversations and will greatly expand your vocabulary and ability to describe the world around you.

Colors

Colors are a fundamental aspect of our visual perception, and being able to describe colors is essential for effective communication. Here are some common colors in Vietnamese:

Vietnamese	Pronunciation	English
Đỏ	[ɗɔ̌]	Red
Xanh	[saŋ̌]	Green
Vàng	[vaṅ̌]	Yellow
Trắng	[tɕǎŋ]	White
Đen	[ɗěn]	Black
Hồng	[hə̀wŋ]	Pink

Examples:

• A red apple: Một quả táo đỏ
• The green grass: Cỏ xanh
• Her yellow dress: Chiếc váy vàng của cô ấy

Sizes

Being able to describe sizes is useful when talking about objects, people, or places. Here are some common size adjectives in Vietnamese:

Vietnamese	Pronunciation	English
Lớn	[ɫə̌wŋ]	Big
Nhỏ	[ɲɔ̌]	Small
Cao	[kǎw]	Tall
Thấp	[tʰə̀p]	Short
Dài	[ɗâj]	Long
Ngắn	[ŋɐ́n]	Short

Examples:

• A big house: Một căn nhà lớn
• The small dog: Con chó nhỏ
• His tall brother: Anh trai cao của anh ấy

Qualities

Adjectives can also be used to describe the qualities or characteristics of people or things. Here are some common adjectives to describe qualities in Vietnamese:

Vietnamese	Pronunciation	English
Đẹp	[ɗɛ̌p]	Beautiful
Xấu	[sâw]	Ugly
Thông minh	[tʰoŋ mwɪ̌ŋ]	Intelligent
Dễ thương	[ɗɛ̂ tʰuəŋ]	Cute
Tốt	[tə̌t]	Good
Xấu xí	[sâw sɪ̌]	Ugly

Examples:

• A beautiful flower: Bông hoa đẹp
• The ugly building: Công trình xấu xí
• Our intelligent teacher: Giáo viên thông minh của chúng ta

Quantities

Adjectives can be used to describe quantities or numbers. Here are some common quantity adjectives in Vietnamese:

Vietnamese	Pronunciation	English
Nhiều	[ɲɛ̂w]	Many
Ít	[ɨ̌t]	Few
Một	[mo᷉ːt]	One
Hai	[ha᷉ːj]	Two
Năm	[ɲə̌m]	Five
Muốn	[mɨ̂wŋ]	Want

Examples:

• Many books: Nhiều sách
• Few students: Ít học sinh
• I want one apple: Tôi muốn một quả táo

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have reached the end of this lesson on Vietnamese adjectives. Throughout this lesson, we have explored the basics of Vietnamese adjectives, including their formation, placement in sentences, and agreement with nouns. We have also introduced you to some common adjectives and their usage in everyday conversations.

By mastering Vietnamese adjectives, you will be able to add depth and color to your language skills, making your conversations more nuanced and expressive. Adjectives allow us to describe and express our thoughts about people, objects, and experiences, making them an essential part of any language, including Vietnamese.

Continue practicing and incorporating adjectives into your daily Vietnamese conversations. The more you practice, the more natural and confident you will become in using them. Don't be afraid to experiment with different adjectives and explore their various meanings and nuances.

Remember, learning a language is a journey, and every step you take brings you closer to fluency. Keep up the great work, and soon you will be speaking Vietnamese with ease and confidence!

Table of Contents - Vietnamese Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Hello and Goodbye
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Vietnamese Culture Basics

• Vietnamese Values
• Social Etiquette
• Cuisine and Dining

  ---

Numbers and Counting

• Counting 1-10
• Counting 11-20
• Counting 21 and Beyond

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Nouns and Gender
• Pronouns and Personal Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

  ---

Holidays and Celebrations

• Tet
• Mid-Autumn Festival

  ---

Verbs and Verb Tenses

• Present Tense Verbs
• Past Tense Verbs
• Future Tense Verbs
• Modal Verbs

  ---

Food and Drink

• Vietnamese Food
• Drinks and Beverages
• Food Ordering

  ---

Arts and Entertainment

• Traditional Music
• Movie and Television

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjectives
• Adverbs

  ---

Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Giving Directions

  ---

Traditional Clothing

• Ao Dai
• Other Traditional Clothing

Sources

• Vietnamese basic grammar: sentence structure – YourVietnamese
• Adjectives in Vietnamese: Word Ordering and Examples – Vietnam ...
• Vietnamese adjectives – YourVietnamese

Other Lessons

• Personal pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns
• Conditional Mood
• Articles
• Gender
• Present Tense Verbs
• Adverbs
• Give your Opinion
• Tenses
• Questions

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