Language/Vietnamese/Grammar/Present-Tense-Verbs
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As a beginner in learning Vietnamese, one of the first grammar elements that you must study is verbs and verb tenses. In this lesson, we will focus on present tense verbs in Vietnamese. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to conjugate basic present tense verbs and use them in sentences.
Conjugation of Present Tense Verbs
In Vietnamese, verbs do not change form for different subjects. This means that the form of the verb remains the same regardless of the subject of the sentence. This makes conjugation in Vietnamese much simpler than in many other languages.
To form a basic present tense verb, you simply take the verb stem and add one of several different endings, depending on the final sound of the stem. Here are the present tense endings in Vietnamese:
- -ê/ê: used for verbs ending in k, t, c, p, or ch, pronounced like "et". Examples: học (to study), nói (to speak), tập (to practice), đọc (to read), chơi (to play)
- -a/a: used for verbs ending in m, n, ng, or nh pronounced like "ung". Examples: ăn (to eat), đi (to go), nghe (to listen), xem (to watch)
- -ô/o: used for verbs ending in đ or r. Examples: đóng (to close), trả (to pay), phát (to distribute)
- -(y)ê/yê: used for verbs ending in a vowel or y. Examples: cười (to laugh), huyết (to bleed), uống (to drink)
Here is a table summarizing the present tense conjugation for some common Vietnamese verbs:
| Vietnamese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| học | həwk | to study |
| nói | noj | to speak |
| tập | tap | to practice |
| đọc | ɗəwk | to read |
| chơi | tʃəj | to play |
| ăn | ʔăŋ | to eat |
| đi | ɗi | to go |
| nghe | ŋɛ | to listen |
| xem | sɛm | to watch |
It is important to note that Vietnamese is a tonal language, meaning that the tone used when pronouncing a word can change its meaning. Therefore, when practicing the pronunciation of these verbs, make sure to also pay attention to the correct tone.
Usage of Present Tense Verbs
The present tense is used to describe actions that are happening at the present moment, actions that happen frequently or habitually, and to describe general truths or characteristics.
Here are some examples of Vietnamese sentences using present tense verbs:
- Tôi học tiếng Việt. (I am studying Vietnamese.)
- Tôi thường uống trà. (I usually drink tea.)
- Cô ấy nói rất đẹp. (She speaks very nicely.)
- Chim bồ câu bay khá thấp so với các loài chim khác. (Pigeons fly quite low compared to other bird species.)
It is important to note that in Vietnamese, the subject of the sentence is often omitted when it is clear from context. This means that in the above examples, the subject "I" and "she" could be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence.
Irregular Present Tense Verbs
While most Vietnamese present tense verbs follow the same pattern of stem + ending described above, there are some irregular verbs that are worth noting.
Here are a few examples:
- Là (to be): This verb is irregular in all tenses. The present tense conjugation is: am (I am), is (you are), là (he/she/it is), là (we are), là (they are).
- Đi (to go): This verb is irregular in the first person singular. The present tense conjugation is: đi (I go), đi (you go), đi (he/she/it goes), đi (we go), đi (they go).
- Cho (to give): This verb is irregular in the third person singular. The present tense conjugation is: cho (I give), cho (you give), cho (he/she/it gives), cho (we give), cho (they give).
It is important to memorize these irregular verbs as they are commonly used in everyday conversation.
Practice
To practice using present tense verbs in Vietnamese, try forming simple sentences describing actions that are happening around you at the present moment or actions that you do frequently. You can also try describing general truths or characteristics.
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