# Cũng / cũng được: fairly / it'll do in Vietnamese (A2)

> You know cũng as "also". With an adjective and nothing to point back to, it means "fairly" or "OK": a lukewarm verdict. Asked Phim đó hay không?

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cung-fairly-ok/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**fairly / it'll do**

Pattern: `[person] + cũng + [adjective or verb] · Cũng được.`

Level: A2 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: cung, cung duoc

You know *cũng* as "also". With an adjective and nothing to point back to, it means "fairly" or "OK": a lukewarm verdict. Asked *Phim đó hay không?* (Was that film good?), you answer *Cũng hay* for "It was alright". It's polite but cool. *Khá hay* (quite good) is real praise, and *hay lắm* is enthusiastic.

*Cũng được* is the everyday "it's alright" or "it'll do": *Quán này cũng được.* It also accepts a suggestion without much excitement: *Đi bộ hả? Cũng được.* Walk? Fine by me. For "so-so", people say *cũng tạm*: *Dạo này công việc cũng tạm.*

How do you tell "fairly" from "also"? If someone else has just been mentioned, it's "also": *Anh mệt, em cũng mệt.* You're tired, and so am I. If it's a verdict on something, with nobody to compare, it's "fairly".

So take care with praise. To your host, *cũng ngon* sounds like "it's OK"; say *ngon quá* or *ngon lắm* instead.

## A common mistake

✗ Chị nấu cũng ngon.

✓ Chị nấu ngon quá!

With nothing to compare, *cũng ngon* means "it's OK". To praise someone's cooking, say *ngon quá* or *ngon lắm*.

## Examples

- Phim đó hay không em? — Was that film any good?
- Dạ, cũng hay, nhưng hơi dài. — It was OK, but a bit long.
- Saigon: Đi bộ hả? Cũng được. | Hà Nội: Đi bộ à? Cũng được. — Walk? Fine by me.
- Dạo này công việc cũng tạm. — Work's been so-so lately.

## Words in this pattern

- [cũng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/cung-also/#s_cung_fairly): fairly

## Compare

- [Also, too: cũng before the verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cung-also/): also
- [Quite, fairly: khá + adjective](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/kha-quite/): quite
- [OK, fine: được as 'good enough'](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/duoc-ok/): fine, acceptable

Previous in How much, and comparing: [Compared with: so với](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/so-voi/)
Next in How much, and comparing: [Getting more or less: adjective + ra / lên / đi / lại](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/adj-change-ra-di/)

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