# Describing words come after the noun in Vietnamese (A1)

> A describing word comes after the noun it describes, the opposite of English: nhà lớn (a big house, literally "house big"), áo trắng (a white shirt), cà…

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/adj-after-noun/ · Updated 2026-11-09

**adjective after noun**

Pattern: `[noun] + [adjective] · [noun] + [noun modifier]`

Level: A1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

A describing word comes after the noun it describes, the opposite of English: *nhà lớn* (a big house, literally "house big"), *áo trắng* (a white shirt), *cà phê đen* (black coffee). A word like *rất* (very) stays with it: *một quán rất ngon* (a really good place to eat).

A noun can describe another noun in the same way, and it goes second too: *cơm gà* (chicken rice), *bánh mì thịt* (a bánh mì with meat), *nhà hàng Việt Nam* (a Vietnamese restaurant). The thing comes first, then what kind it is.

Words of amount are different. Numbers, *nhiều* (many) and *ít* (few) go before the noun: *hai cái áo trắng*, *nhiều quán ngon*.

Watch for one change. *Nhà lớn* is usually "a big house". Once *này* (this) or a name closes off the noun, a describing word after it becomes the statement: *Nhà này lớn.* This house is big. No *là* is needed. To keep it a description, put it before *này*: *cái áo trắng này* (this white shirt), but *Cái áo này trắng.* This shirt is white.

A few words borrowed from Chinese go before the noun, like *tân* (new) in *tân sinh viên* (first-year student), but they're rare in everyday speech.

## A common mistake

✗ Tôi thích đen cà phê.

✓ Tôi thích cà phê đen.

The describing word goes after the noun: *cà phê đen*, literally "coffee black".

## Examples

- Anh uống cà phê đen hay cà phê sữa? — Do you drink black coffee or coffee with milk?
- Tôi muốn mua một cái áo trắng. — I want to buy a white shirt.
- Saigon: Nhà em ở trong một hẻm nhỏ. | Hà Nội: Nhà em ở trong một ngõ nhỏ. — My place is down a small alley.
- Đây là một quán ăn rất ngon. — This is a really good place to eat.

## Compare

- [Adjectives need no là: Chị ấy đẹp](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/adj-no-la/): no 'to be' before adjectives
- [The full noun phrase: number + classifier + noun + adjective + này (hai cái áo đẹp này)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/np-full-order/): noun phrase order
- [New, former, great before the noun: tân, cựu, đại](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/sino-adj-before/): new / former / big (before the noun)

Previous in Things, counting and numbers: [Couples and pairs of people: hai vợ chồng, hai anh em](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/hai-vo-chong/)
Next in Things, counting and numbers: [Empty places in numbers: lẻ / linh, không trăm](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/linh-le-zero/)

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