Basic Sentences
Basic SVO sentence structure: Tôi là sinh viên
Can form basic SVO sentences in Vietnamese with correct use of là vs direct adjectives
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Tôi ăn cơm. Anh ăn cơm. Họ ăn cơm.
I eat rice. You eat rice. They eat rice.
Trời đẹp quá!
The weather is so beautiful!
Tôi là bác sĩ.
I am a doctor.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Câu đơn giản — Basic Sentences
Vietnamese basic sentence order is SVO (Subject-Verb-Object), just like English! This is great news for learners. And even better: verbs never conjugate — no endings, no changes, ever!
| Structure | Vietnamese | Literal | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| S + V | Tôi đi. | I go. | I go / I'm going. |
| S + V + O | Tôi ăn cơm. | I eat rice. | I eat rice. |
| S + Adj | Cơm ngon. | Rice delicious. | The rice is delicious. |
| S + là + N | Tôi là giáo viên. | I am teacher. | I am a teacher. |
No conjugation! The verb stays the same for ALL subjects: Tôi ăn, anh ăn, họ ăn (I eat, you eat, they eat). No -s, -ed, -ing endings!
No articles! No 'a', 'an', 'the'. Context tells you which: Tôi mua sách = I buy a book / I buy the book / I buy books.
Adjectives WITHOUT là: Do NOT use là (to be) with adjectives! Cô ấy đẹp = She (is) beautiful. NOT *Cô ấy là đẹp.
Common Error Patterns
Used là before an adjective (e.g., *Cô ấy là đẹp)
là connects noun = noun (identity). For adjectives, just put them directly after the subject: Cô ấy đẹp (She beautiful = She is beautiful).
Tried to conjugate a Vietnamese verb
Vietnamese verbs NEVER change form. ăn = eat for all persons, tenses, moods. Tense is shown with separate words (đã, sẽ, đang).
Tôi ăn cơm. Anh ăn cơm. Họ ăn cơm.
I eat rice. You eat rice. They eat rice.
Notice: ăn never changes! No conjugation at all. Compare with the 4 different German forms or 3 Russian forms.
Trời đẹp quá!
The weather is so beautiful!
NO là here! Adjectives attach directly: Trời đẹp = weather beautiful. Adding là would be WRONG (*Trời là đẹp).
Tôi là bác sĩ.
I am a doctor.
là is used for identity/definition (noun = noun): Tôi là bác sĩ. But NOT for descriptions (adjectives) — see the difference!
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Put it into practice
Try a free exercise from the courseFrequently asked questions
- When is Câu đơn giản used?
- Vietnamese basic sentence order is SVO (Subject-Verb-Object), just like English! This is great news for learners. And even better: verbs never conjugate — no endings, no changes, ever!
- How is Câu đơn giản formed?
- No conjugation! The verb stays the same for ALL subjects: Tôi ăn, anh ăn, họ ăn (I eat, you eat, they eat). No -s, -ed, -ing endings! No articles! No 'a', 'an', 'the'. Context tells you which: Tôi mua sách = I buy a book / I buy the book / I buy books. Adjectives WITHOUT là: Do NOT use là (to be) with adjectives! Cô ấy đẹp = She (is) beautiful. NOT *Cô ấy là đẹp.
- What are common mistakes with Câu đơn giản?
- Trying to conjugate verbs or adding articles. 🇬🇧 English speakers: Add 'is/are' before adjectives (*Nó là đẹp instead of Nó đẹp). Try to conjugate verbs (*Tôi đis). Add articles (*Tôi là một cái giáo viên — too many classifiers). 🇩🇪 German speakers: Try to add articles and verb endings from German habit. May try to put verbs in second position (V2 rule) in complex sentences. 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: Russian also drops 'to be' in present tense (Я студент), so the là-less adjective pattern feels natural. But may over-omit là where it IS needed (identity statements). 🇨🇿 Czech speakers: Czech also allows SVO, so word order feels natural.