# Có … đâu / đâu có: denying what was said in Vietnamese

> You know không … đâu, which makes a "no" firmer. Có … đâu goes further: it denies something someone has said or assumed, like "But I didn't!"

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/co-dau-denial/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**denying what was said**

Pattern: `[person] + có + [verb] (+ [object]) + đâu · [person] + đâu có + [verb] · có phải … đâu`

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

Typed without accents: co … dau, dau co

You know *không … đâu*, which makes a "no" firmer. *Có … đâu* goes further: it denies something someone has said or assumed, like "But I didn't!" Put *có* before the verb and *đâu* at the end, with no *không*: *Anh có biết đâu.* I had no idea (so don't blame me).

In Saigon the most common form puts *đâu có* before the verb: *Em đâu có nói vậy!* I never said that! (in Hà Nội, *nói thế*). It works before describing words too: *Đâu có mắc!* It isn't expensive at all! On its own, *Đâu có!* means "No, not at all!" or "That's not true!", a very common reply. In quick speech *đâu* alone can do the job: *Em đâu biết!* How would I know?

With a noun, add *phải*, as you would after *không*: *Em có phải con nít đâu!* I'm not a kid! *Đâu phải* works the same way.

These sentences push back, so they can sound defensive. With someone older, start with *dạ* to keep it polite: *Dạ, đâu có!* For a calm, neutral "no", plain *không* is enough.

## A common mistake

✗ Em có là con nít đâu!

✓ Em có phải là con nít đâu!

Like *có … không*, *có … đâu* doesn't go round *là*. With a noun, add *phải*: *có phải là … đâu*.

## Examples

- Saigon: Em giận chị hả? | Hà Nội: Em giận chị à? — Are you upset with me?
- Dạ, đâu có! — No, not at all!
- Saigon: Em đâu có nói vậy! | Hà Nội: Em đâu có nói thế! — I never said that!
- Anh có biết đâu. — I had no idea.
- Saigon: Em có phải con nít đâu! | Hà Nội: Em có phải trẻ con đâu! — I'm not a kid!

## Words in this pattern

- [đâu có](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/dau-co/#s_dau_co_denial): denial

## Compare

- [Not at all, really: không … đâu](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-dau-not-at-all/): not at all
- [No way, there's no such thing: Làm gì có …!](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/lam-gi-co/): there's no …!
- [Who knows, maybe: biết đâu](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/biet-dau-maybe/): who knows, maybe
- [Throwing a word back: X + gì mà + X](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/gi-ma-reject/): X? not at all! / enough X-ing!

Previous in Saying no and not: [Not: không before the verb or adjective](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-not/)
Next in Saying no and not: [No way, there's no such thing: Làm gì có …!](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/lam-gi-co/)

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