# À: oh (remembering) in Vietnamese (A2)

> À at the start of a sentence is the "oh" of a thought that has just come to you: À, mai chị rảnh không? Oh, are you free tomorrow?

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/a-initial-oh/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**oh (remembering)**

Pattern: `À, + [statement]`

Level: A2 (our estimate) · Register: everyday · Medium: spoken

Typed without accents: a

*À* at the start of a sentence is the "oh" of a thought that has just come to you: *À, mai chị rảnh không?* Oh, are you free tomorrow? It often brings up something new, like "oh, by the way", and there's a short pause after it, which the comma shows.

You'll also hear it when something becomes clear: *À, hiểu rồi.* Ah, I get it. *À, ra vậy.* Oh, so that's why. When you remember something you nearly forgot, it's *À quên*: *À quên, chìa khóa em để trên bàn nha.* Oh, I forgot: I left the key on the table.

*À mà* (oh, and) brings in a second point: *À mà, tối nay ai nấu cơm?* *À, nghe nói …* (oh, I heard …) opens a bit of news. All of these are casual, fine with friends, family and colleagues.

You know *à* at the end of a sentence, where it checks something you've just heard: *Anh là người Úc à?* At the start it asks nothing; it only shows that the thought is new. Don't confuse either with *ạ*, with the dot below, the polite ending for older people.

## Examples

- À, mai chị rảnh không? — Oh, are you free tomorrow?
- À, hiểu rồi. Cảm ơn anh. — Ah, I get it. Thanks.
- Saigon: À quên, chìa khóa em để trên bàn nha. | Hà Nội: À quên, chìa khóa em để trên bàn nhé. — Oh, I forgot: I left the key on the table.
- À, nghe nói chị mới đổi việc. — Oh, I heard you've changed jobs.

## Words in this pattern

- [à](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/a-ah/#s_a_oh): ah, oh

## Compare

- [Double-checking what you just heard: hả / à](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/a-ha-check/): …, huh? / so …?
- [Besides, by the way: Mà … at the start](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ma-initial-besides/): besides / anyway
- [Polite ending to elders: … ạ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/a-polite/): (respectful ending)

Previous in Words at the start and end of a sentence: [Look! Here! … nè, kìa](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nay-final-look/)
Next in Words at the start and end of a sentence: [Unfortunately: tiếc là, rất tiếc](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/tiec-la-unfortunately/)

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