# Give someone something in Vietnamese (A2)

> With cho (give), the person comes first and the thing second, with nothing between them: Chị cho em cái này. I'm giving you this.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cho-give-order/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**give (no 'to')**

Pattern: `cho / tặng / trả / biếu + [person] + [thing]`

Level: A2 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

With *cho* (give), the person comes first and the thing second, with nothing between them: *Chị cho em cái này.* I'm giving you this. English says "give it to you"; Vietnamese needs no "to".

A few other verbs of giving work the same way: *tặng* (give as a present), *trả* (give back, pay) and *biếu* (give politely to someone older): *Em tặng má cái áo dài mới.* I gave Mum a new áo dài. *Mai anh trả em tiền nha.* I'll pay you back tomorrow.

With *tặng*, *trả* and *biếu* you can also put the thing first and the person after *cho*: *Em tặng hoa cho chị.* That second order is the one most other verbs use, such as *gửi* (send) and *mua* (buy). With *cho* itself, keep the person first.

You already use this verb when you order: *Cho em hai ly trà đá.* There you're the one receiving, so your own word comes straight after *cho*. And when *cho* + person is followed by a verb, it means "let": *Cho em đi với.* Let me come too.

## A common mistake

✗ Anh cho cái này cho em.

✓ Anh cho em cái này.

With *cho* as "give", the person goes straight after it. The second *cho* belongs after other verbs: *gửi cái này cho em*.

## Examples

- Saigon: Chị cho em cái này nè. | Hà Nội: Chị cho em cái này đây. — Here, this is for you.
- Saigon: Em tặng má cái áo dài mới. | Hà Nội: Em tặng mẹ cái áo dài mới. — I gave Mum a new áo dài.
- Saigon: Mai anh trả em tiền nha. | Hà Nội: Mai anh trả em tiền nhé. — I'll pay you back tomorrow.
- Tết này con biếu ông bà hộp trà. — This Tết I'm giving my grandparents a box of tea.

## Compare

- [To or for someone: verb + thing + cho + person](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cho-to-for/): send / buy / sell to, work for
- [Can I have / let me: Cho tôi / cho em + noun or verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cho-toi-let-me/): give me / let me

Previous in Là, có, and how verbs work together: [Get (good) or suffer (bad): được / bị + noun](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/duoc-bi-receive/)
Next in Là, có, and how verbs work together: [I find, I feel: thấy + adjective or sentence](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/thay-feel-find/)

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