# B1 Vietnamese grammar (intermediate)

> All 96 B1 (intermediate) Vietnamese grammar patterns in the directory, each explained in plain English with every example spoken aloud. Free, no account needed.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/b1/ · Updated 2026-10-17

The 96 patterns we place at B1, intermediate level, by topic — each explained in plain English, every example spoken aloud. Free, no account needed.

Levels are our own estimates: there is no official list of Vietnamese grammar by level yet.

Levels: [A1 (beginner)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/a1/) · [A2 (elementary)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/a2/) · B1 (intermediate, this page) · [B2 (upper intermediate)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/b2/) · [C1 (advanced)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/c1/)

With filters and search: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/?level=B1

## Asking questions (9)

- [Any … at all: bất cứ / bất kỳ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/bat-cu-any/): any … whatsoever — `bất cứ / bất kỳ + [question word or noun] + (… cũng)`
- [How (can)? làm sao](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/lam-sao-how/): how / how could? — `[person] + [verb] + làm sao? · Làm sao + [person] + [verb]?`
- [I wonder whether: liệu … (có) … không?](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/lieu-wonder/): I wonder whether; will it really — `Liệu + [person or thing] + có + [verb] + không? · Không biết liệu + [sentence]`
- [No matter who, what, how: dù … cũng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/qword-no-matter/): no matter … — `Dù + [question word …] (đi chăng nữa) + thì + [person] + cũng / vẫn + [verb]`
- [Really? … sao at the end](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/sao-surprise-tag/): surprise, disbelief — `[statement] + sao?` (spoken)
- [Reported questions keep their word order: hỏi / không biết + the question as asked](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/embedded-question-order/): indirect questions — `[person] + hỏi / không biết + [question as asked]`
- [Surely not? chẳng lẽ / lẽ nào](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/chang-le-surely-not/): surely not …? — `Chẳng lẽ / Lẽ nào + [person] + (lại) + [verb]?`
- [What's the point?: … (mà) làm gì](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/lam-gi-whats-the-point/): there is no point in — `[verb phrase] + (mà) làm gì? · [verb] + làm gì cho mệt`
- [Who would …? Who wouldn't …? ai mà, ai lại không](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ai-ma-rhetorical/): rhetorical who — `Ai mà + [verb]? · Ai lại không + [verb]? · [topic] thì ai không + [verb]?` (spoken)

## Time and when things happen (12)

- [As soon as: ngay khi](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ngay-khi-as-soon-as/): as soon as — `Ngay khi + [sentence], …` (At work)
- [Completely, for good: verb + hẳn](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/han-completely/): completely — `[verb] + hẳn (+ [object]) · [adjective] + hẳn + đi / ra`
- [Do this first: verb + đã](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/da-first/): first (before something else) — `[verb] + đã (rồi + hãy / hẵng + [verb 2])`
- [Finishing off the rest: verb + cho hết, cho xong / nốt](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/not-finish-off/): do the rest, finish off — `[verb] + cho hết / cho xong (+ [object]) · [verb] + nốt (+ [object]) (Hà Nội)`
- [Have left, still to go: còn + noun, còn … nữa](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/con-left/): have left — `[person] + còn + [amount] (+ nữa) · Còn + [time or amount] + nữa (là / mới) …` (Shops and services)
- [Left half done: verb + dở](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/do-half-done/): half done, in the middle of — `[verb] + dở (+ [object]) · đang + [verb] + dở + thì + [event]`
- [On and on, at long last: mãi, mãi … mới](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/mai-on-and-on/): interminably / finally — `[verb] + mãi · [verb] + mãi + (person) + mới + [verb 2] · [verb] + mãi mà không + [verb 2]`
- [On the occasion of: nhân (dịp) + occasion](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nhan-occasion/): on the occasion of; taking the chance — `Nhân dịp + [occasion], … · Nhân + [event or chance], … · nhân tiện (while at it)` (At work)
- [Only (so few, so young): mới + number](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/moi-only-number/): only (amount, age) — `mới (có) + [number or time] · [person] + mới + [verb or number] + thôi`
- [Only if, to … you must: phải … mới, muốn … thì phải](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/co-moi-only-if/): only if / to … you have to — `(Phải / Có) + [condition] + (person) + mới + [result] · Muốn + [result] + (thì) + phải + [condition]`
- [Suddenly: tự nhiên, tự dưng, bỗng (nhiên)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/bong-suddenly/): suddenly, out of the blue — `Tự nhiên / Tự dưng + [subject] + [verb] · [subject] + tự nhiên / tự dưng + [verb] · [subject] + bỗng (nhiên) / đột nhiên + [verb] (writing)`
- [Until: (cho) đến khi](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/den-khi-until/): until — `… (cho) đến khi + [sentence] · đến + [time]`

## Saying no and not (8)

- [Almost, hardly: gần như, hầu như (không)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/hau-nhu-almost/): almost / hardly any — `gần như / hầu như + [verb or adjective] · hầu như không + [verb]`
- [Emphatic not: không có + verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-co-emphatic/): not (emphatic) — `[person] + không có + [verb]` (spoken)
- [Nearly happened: suýt (nữa thì)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/suyt-nearly/): nearly, almost (but didn't) — `[person] + suýt + [verb] · Suýt nữa thì + [person] + [verb]`
- [Not (colloquial): chẳng / chả](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/chang-cha-not/): not (spoken, emphatic) — `[person] + chẳng / chả + [verb or adjective]`
- [Not always: không phải lúc nào cũng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-phai-luc-nao/): not always — `[person] + không phải lúc nào / bao giờ + cũng + [verb]`
- [Not at all, never ever: không hề / chưa hề](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-he-never/): not in the least — `[person] + không / chưa + hề + [verb]`
- [Not one bit: không … chút nào / tí nào](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ti-nao-at-all/): not at all — `[person] + không + [verb or adjective] + chút nào / tí nào (cả)`
- [Throwing a word back: X + gì mà + X](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/gi-ma-reject/): X? not at all! / enough X-ing! — `[adjective or verb] + gì mà + [the same word]! · [adjective] + gì (đâu)!` (spoken)

## Can, must, should, want (6)

- [Can't manage it (too much, too hard): verb + không nổi / không xuể](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-noi-cannot-manage/): can't manage, can't cope — `[verb] + không nổi · [verb] + không xuể · [verb] + (có) nổi không?`
- [Dare (not): (không) dám](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/dam-dare/): dare — `[person] + (không) dám + [verb]`
- [Had better: nên … thì hơn](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nen-thi-hon/): had better — `[person] + nên + [verb] + thì hơn`
- [I'm afraid that: sợ (là), e (là)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/so-la-afraid/): I'm afraid (that), softening bad news — `[person] + sợ (là) + [sentence] · [person] + e (là / rằng) + [sentence] (more careful)` (At work)
- [Should have: đáng lẽ (ra), lẽ ra](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/dang-le-should-have/): should have — `Đáng lẽ / Lẽ ra + [person] + (phải / nên) + [verb]`
- [Who knows, maybe: biết đâu](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/biet-dau-maybe/): who knows, maybe — `Biết đâu + [person or thing] + (lại) + [verb] · Biết đâu được!`

## Linking ideas (26)

- [And so, so then: vậy là / thế là](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/the-la-so-then/): and so (it happened) — `[event]. Vậy là / Thế là + [result]`
- [As long as: miễn là](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/mien-la-provided/): provided that — `[sentence], miễn là + [sentence]`
- [As, the way: như + sentence](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nhu-as/): as / as if — `[verb] + như + [sentence] · Như + [sentence], …` (At work)
- [Depending on: tùy (theo), tùy vào](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/tuy-theo/): depending on — `tùy (theo / vào) + [noun] · Tùy + [person]! (up to you)`
- [Especially: nhất là / đặc biệt là](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nhat-la-especially/): especially — `[statement], nhất là / đặc biệt là + [X]`
- [Even if, even when: dù (cho) … thì … cũng, ngay cả khi](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/du-even-if/): even if / although — `Dù (cho) + [sentence] + thì + [person] + cũng / vẫn + [verb]`
- [Even: thậm chí](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/tham-chi-even/): even — `…, thậm chí (còn) + [stronger point]`
- [Except: trừ, ngoại trừ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/tru-except/): except — `[statement], trừ / ngoại trừ + [noun]`
- [Giving examples: chẳng hạn (như), ví dụ, cụ thể là](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/vi-du-chang-han/): for example / specifically — `[statement], chẳng hạn (như) / ví dụ (như) + [example] · [example] + chẳng hạn · Cụ thể là, …`
- [Granted it is X, but …: X + thì + X, nhưng …](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/thi-thi-concessive/): X it may be, but — `[A] + thì + [A] (thiệt / thật), nhưng (mà) + [B]`
- [If it had …, would have: nếu (như) … thì … đã](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/neu-unreal-past/): if … had (unreal) — `Nếu (như) + [condition] + thì + [person] + đã + [verb]`
- [In case (something goes wrong): lỡ / nhỡ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/lo-in-case/): in case / what if — `[sentence] + lỡ / nhỡ + [bad event]`
- [Including: kể cả](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ke-ca-including/): including — `[statement], kể cả + [noun]`
- [Instead of: thay vì](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/thay-vi-instead/): instead of — `Thay vì + [verb or noun], [person] + [verb]`
- [It's because of X that …: vì / nhờ / tại … mà](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/vi-ma-emphasis/): it is because of … that — `Vì / Nhờ / Tại / Do + [noun] + mà + [person] + [verb]`
- [Not only … but also: không những / không chỉ … mà còn](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-nhung-ma-con/): not only … but also — `không những / không chỉ + [A] + mà còn + [B] (+ nữa) · không chỉ + [noun 1] + mà cả + [noun 2]`
- [Opening with your view: thật ra, rõ ràng là, nói chung](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/stance-openers/): actually / clearly / in general — `Thật ra / Rõ ràng là / Chắc chắn là / Nói chung / Vấn đề là + [statement]`
- [Ordering your points: trước hết, một là … hai là](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/sequencing/): first(ly), second(ly) — `Trước hết, … · Một là …, hai là … · Thứ nhất, … Thứ hai, …` (At work)
- [Referring back to a matter: điều đó, việc này, chuyện đó](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/dieu-do-that-matter/): that (fact just mentioned) — `[verb or preposition] + điều đó / việc đó / chuyện đó / vậy / thế`
- [Thanks to: nhờ (vào)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nho-thanks-to/): thanks to — `Nhờ (vào) + [noun], … · … nhờ + [noun]`
- [That's why, therefore: vì vậy / vì thế](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/vi-vay-therefore/): therefore — `[sentence]. Vì vậy / Vì thế, [sentence]` (At work)
- [The more …, the more: càng … càng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cang-cang/): the more … the more — `[person] + càng + [A] + (thì) + (person 2) + càng + [B]`
- [The only thing is: (chỉ) có điều (là)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/co-dieu-only-thing/): the only thing is, but — `[A], (chỉ) có điều (là) + [B]`
- [The reason … is that: sở dĩ … là vì](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/so-di-la-vi/): the reason (that) … is that — `Sở dĩ + [result] + là vì / là do + [reason]`
- [There is this, there is that: nào là … nào là](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nao-la-listing/): listing many things, often too many — `nào là + [A], nào là + [B] (, nào là + [C])`
- [Without doing: … mà không + verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ma-khong-without/): without (doing) — `[verb 1] + mà không + [verb 2] · không thể + [A] + mà không + [B]`

## Words at the start and end of a sentence (10)

- [After all, obviously: … (rồi) còn gì](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/con-gi-obviously/): it's obvious, after all (mild reproach) — `[statement] + (rồi) còn gì!` (spoken)
- [Besides, by the way: Mà … at the start](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ma-initial-besides/): besides / anyway — `[statement]. Mà + [statement]` (spoken, Messages and social media)
- [Gone, lost: verb + mất](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/mat-after-verb/): gone, lost (after a verb) — `[verb] + mất (+ rồi)`
- [I told you! … mà at the end](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ma-final-insist/): (insisting, that's why) — `[statement] + mà!` (spoken)
- [I'm off now, what now? … đây at the end](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/day-final/): here it is / (wondering) — `[statement] + đây · [question] + đây?` (spoken)
- [Insisting, Northern style: … cơ, cơ mà](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/co-insist-north/): that one, not this; but you said … — `[the right one] + cơ! · [what was said] + cơ mà! · [amount] + cơ (a whole …) · Gì cơ? (sorry, what?)` (spoken)
- [It turns out: hóa ra, thì ra](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/hoa-ra-turns-out/): it turns out, so that's why — `Hóa ra / Thì ra (là) + [sentence] · Thì ra vậy! · tưởng + [A], hóa ra + [B]`
- [Luckily: may (mà), may là](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/may-ma-luckily/): fortunately — `May (mà / là) + [sentence]`
- [No wonder: hèn chi / thảo nào](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/thao-nao-no-wonder/): no wonder — `Hèn chi / Thảo nào + [statement]`
- [Who else? Of course! … chứ ai, chứ gì, chứ sao](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/chu-ai-who-else/): who else, what else, of course — `[answer] + chứ ai! · [guess] + chứ gì? (right?) · Chứ sao! · Chứ còn gì nữa!` (spoken)

## Things, counting and numbers (7)

- [Classifier for fields (economy, culture): nền](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/clf-nen/): classifier for abstract fields — `nền + kinh tế / văn hóa / giáo dục` (formal)
- [Dozens of, thousands of: hàng chục, hàng ngàn / nghìn](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/hang-chuc-dozens/): tens / hundreds of — `hàng + chục / trăm / ngàn / triệu + [noun]`
- [Most: hầu hết](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/hau-het-most/): most — `hầu hết + (các) + [noun]`
- [Nothing but: toàn (là)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/toan-la-nothing-but/): all, nothing but — `toàn (là) + [noun] · toàn + [noun] + là + [noun]`
- [Only so few, as many as: có + number, tới … lận / những + number](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nhung-number-as-many/): only (small) / as many as (large) — `có + [number] (+ thôi) (only) · tới + [number] + lận (as many as, Saigon) · những + [number] + [noun] (as many as, Hà Nội and writing)`
- [Twice as, three times as: gấp đôi, gấp ba](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/gap-doi-times/): X times as … — `[adjective] + gấp đôi / gấp ba (lần) + [comparison]`
- [Where (the place in which): nơi (mà)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/noi-where-relative/): where (relative) — `[place noun] + nơi (mà) + [sentence] · [verb] + (ở / đến) nơi + [sentence]`

## How much, and comparing (6)

- [Even …er: còn + adjective + hơn](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/con-hon-even/): even more — `[A] + còn + [adjective] + hơn (+ [B])`
- [Less … than: kém / ít … hơn](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/kem-less/): less … than — `[A] + kém / ít + [adjective] + hơn + [B]`
- [No different from: (chẳng) khác gì, khác nào](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khac-gi-just-like/): just like, no different from — `[A] + (chẳng / không) khác gì + [B] · [A] + khác nào + [B]`
- [Really so …!: adjective + quá trời, quá chừng, ghê](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/exclaim-intensifiers/): so very …! — `[adjective] + quá trời! · [adjective] + quá chừng! / ghê! · [adjective] + làm sao! (literary)` (spoken, Messages and social media)
- [Would rather: thà … còn hơn / chứ không](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/tha-con-hon/): would rather — `[person] + thà + [A] + còn hơn / chứ không + [B]`
- [X long, X tall, X heavy: dài / cao / nặng + number + unit](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/adj-measure/): measurements — `[thing] + dài / cao / nặng / rộng + [number] + [unit]`

## Là, có, and how verbs work together (8)

- [Again (annoyingly), unexpectedly: lại before the verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/lai-before-verb/): again / instead / contrary to expectation — `[person] + lại + [verb] · …, còn + [person] + lại + [verb]`
- [Did it by mistake: lỡ / trót + verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/lo-by-mistake/): accidentally, already (and can't undo) — `[person] + lỡ / trót + [verb] (+ rồi) · lỡ tay · lỡ miệng`
- [Figuring out, realising: verb + ra (nhận ra, nghĩ ra, tìm ra)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ra-discover/): realise, come up with, find out — `nhận / nghĩ / tìm / nhớ + ra (+ [object]) · không + [verb] + ra · [verb] + không ra (Saigon)`
- [I think he isn't …: không goes in the part after nghĩ là](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/negation-in-subclause/): negation after think — `[person] + nghĩ (là) + [person 2] + không + [verb]`
- [Telling someone: kể / nói … cho … nghe](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cho-nghe/): tell (to someone) — `kể / nói / hát / giải thích + cho + [person] + nghe + [thing]`
- [Thought (wrongly): tưởng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/tuong-mistaken/): thought (but it wasn't so) — `[person] + tưởng + [sentence]`
- [Topic, then a small sentence about it: Cô ấy tóc dài](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/double-subject/): X, her hair is long — `[topic] + [noun] + [adjective or verb]`
- [Verbs that take đến: ảnh hưởng đến, liên quan đến](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/den-verbs/): affect, relate to — `[A] + ảnh hưởng / liên quan / tác động + đến / tới + [B]` (formal)

## How words are built (4)

- [Every morning, every house: doubled words (sáng sáng, nhà nhà, ai ai cũng)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/redup-every/): every …, all without exception — `[time word] doubled + [verb] · [noun] doubled (nhà nhà, người người) · ai ai / đâu đâu + cũng + [verb]`
- [Feelings as nouns: nỗi buồn, niềm vui](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/noi-niem-feeling-nouns/): turning a feeling into a noun — `nỗi + [painful feeling] (nỗi buồn, nỗi nhớ) · niềm + [glad feeling] (niềm vui, niềm tin)`
- [The doing of something: việc + verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/viec-nominal/): the act of …ing — `việc + [verb phrase]` (formal)
- [Turning a verb or adjective into a noun: sự + word](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/su-nominal/): the … (abstract noun) — `sự + [verb or adjective] (sự phát triển)` (formal)

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