Present: verbs don't change — context + time words = tense
Can express present actions using bare verbs
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Tôi sống ở Hà Nội.
I live in Hanoi.
Mỗi sáng tôi uống cà phê.
Every morning I drink coffee.
Bạn hiểu không?
Do you understand?
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Vietnamese has no verb tense in the European sense. The 'present tense' is simply the base verb with no markers. Context and time words tell you when something happens.
| Vietnamese | English | How you know it's present |
|---|---|---|
| Tôi ăn cơm. | I eat rice. / I'm eating rice. | No time marker = present/habitual |
| Hôm nay tôi làm việc. | Today I work. | hôm nay (today) = time word |
| Mỗi ngày tôi học tiếng Việt. | Every day I study Vietnamese. | mỗi ngày (every day) = habitual |
No distinction between simple and progressive! English: 'I eat' vs 'I am eating'. Vietnamese: both are just Tôi ăn. If you need to emphasize the ongoing nature, add đang: Tôi đang ăn = I am eating (right now).
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesAdded unnecessary tense marker for present
Vietnamese present = bare verb. No marker needed. Tôi ăn = I eat. Only add đang if emphasizing 'right now'.
Tôi sống ở Hà Nội.
I live in Hanoi.
No tense marker needed for general present statements. sống = live — same form always.
Mỗi sáng tôi uống cà phê.
Every morning I drink coffee.
mỗi sáng (every morning) establishes habitual present. The verb uống stays unchanged.
Bạn hiểu không?
Do you understand?
Present tense question: just verb + không? No 'do/does' auxiliary needed!
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Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises