Asking how well: verb + có + adjective + không

To ask how well something is done, or how it went, put có … không round the adjective that follows the verb: Em ngủ có ngon không? Did you sleep well? Món này nấu có khó không? Is this dish hard to cook?

It follows from how Vietnamese describes an action: the adjective comes straight after the verb, ngủ ngon (sleep well), nói giỏi (speak well). The question wraps only that adjective. An object usually stays next to its verb: Chị nói tiếng Anh có giỏi không? Do you speak English well? The thing can also come first, before the verb: Món này nấu có khó không?

It's also the usual way to ask how something went: Đi Đà Lạt có vui không? Did you have a good time in Đà Lạt?

To answer, repeat the adjective: Dạ, ngon lắm. Yes, really well. Không vui lắm. Not much fun. In quick speech the có can drop: Ngủ ngon không?

You'll also hear có before the verb: Em có ngủ ngon không? Without an adjective, though, that order asks something else: Em có ngủ không? asks whether you slept at all.