Liên từ

A1 — Cấu trúc câu

Conjunctions: và (and), hoặc (or), nhưng (but), vì...nên, nếu...thì

Can connect sentences using và, hoặc, nhưng, vì...nên, nếu...thì

Examples

Tôi thích phở và bún. — I like pho and bun.
Vì tôi mệt nên tôi đi ngủ sớm. — Because I'm tired, I go to bed early.
Nếu bạn rảnh thì chúng ta đi ăn. — If you're free, let's go eat.

Cấu trúc câuA1

Conjunctions

Conjunctions: và, hoặc, nhưng, vì...nên, nếu...thì

Learning Goal

Can connect sentences

Exam Skills:NóiViết

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Tôi thích phở và bún.

I like pho and bun.

Vì tôi mệt nên tôi đi ngủ sớm.

Because I'm tired, I go to bed early.

Nếu bạn rảnh thì chúng ta đi ăn.

If you're free, let's go eat.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

Liên từ — Conjunctions

Vietnamese conjunctions connect clauses and sentences.

Conjunction	Meaning	Example
và	and	Tôi và bạn tôi. (Me and my friend.)
hoặc/hay	or	Trà hay cà phê? (Tea or coffee?)
nhưng	but	Đẹp nhưng đắt. (Beautiful but expensive.)
vì...nên	because...so	Vì trời mưa nên tôi ở nhà. (Because it rains, so I stay home.)
nếu...thì	if...then	Nếu rảnh thì đi chơi. (If free then go out.)

Paired conjunctions: Vietnamese loves paired conjunctions (vì...nên, nếu...thì). Both parts are often used, though the second can be dropped in casual speech.

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Missing the paired pattern and using single conjunctions. All learners: The vì...nên and nếu...thì paired patterns don't exist in most European languages. Learners often just use vì or nếu alone (acceptable in casual speech but formal Vietnamese uses both).

Common Error Patterns

Used only one part of a paired conjunction

Vietnamese paired conjunctions: vì...nên (because...so), nếu...thì (if...then). Use both parts in formal speech.

Tôi thích phở và bún.

I like pho and bun.

và = and. Simple, works just like English 'and'.

Vì tôi mệt nên tôi đi ngủ sớm.

Because I'm tired, I go to bed early.

vì...nên = because...so. Both markers used. nên can be dropped casually.

Nếu bạn rảnh thì chúng ta đi ăn.

If you're free, let's go eat.

nếu...thì = if...then. thì can be dropped: Nếu rảnh, đi ăn.

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

A1 Course

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Put it into practice

Try a free exercise from the course

Frequently asked questions

When is Liên từ used?: Paired conjunctions: Vietnamese loves paired conjunctions (vì...nên, nếu...thì). Both parts are often used, though the second can be dropped in casual speech.
What are common mistakes with Liên từ?: Missing the paired pattern and using single conjunctions. All learners: The vì...nên and nếu...thì paired patterns don't exist in most European languages. Learners often just use vì or nếu alone (acceptable in casual speech but formal Vietnamese uses both).