# Cũng không: not … either in Vietnamese (A1)

> For "not … either", put cũng before không: Em cũng không biết. I don't know either. In this pattern the order is cũng không, then the verb or adjective.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cung-khong-either/ · Updated 2026-11-09

**not … either**

Pattern: `[person] + cũng + không / chưa + [verb]`

Level: A1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: cung khong

For "not … either", put *cũng* before *không*: *Em cũng không biết.* I don't know either. In this pattern the order is *cũng không*, then the verb or adjective. Nothing is needed at the end where English puts "either", though you'll often hear a soft *nữa*: *Em cũng không biết nữa.*

It works with the other ways of saying "not" too. With *chưa* (not yet): *Tôi cũng chưa ăn.* I haven't eaten either. With *không phải* and a noun: *Chồng chị cũng không phải người Việt.* My husband isn't Vietnamese either. With *không có* (don't have): *Em cũng không có tiền lẻ.* I don't have any change either.

Use it to agree with something negative. If a friend says *Mình không thích sầu riêng*, you can answer *Mình cũng không thích*, or just *Mình cũng không.* Me neither. *Mình cũng vậy* works too (many Hà Nội speakers say *cũng thế*; both are heard).

To say that someone does neither of two things, in one sentence, use *không … cũng không*: *Ba em không uống rượu, cũng không hút thuốc.* My dad doesn't drink or smoke.

## A common mistake

✗ Em không cũng thích.

✓ Em cũng không thích.

For "not … either", *cũng* comes before *không*, not after it, and not at the end like English "either".

## Examples

- Em cũng không biết. — I don't know either.
- Tôi cũng chưa ăn. — I haven't eaten either.
- Mình cũng không thích sầu riêng. — I don't like durian either.
- Chồng chị cũng không uống bia. — My husband doesn't drink beer either.

## Words in this pattern

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

## Compare

- [Also, too: cũng before the verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cung-also/): also
- [Neither … nor: không … cũng không](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/neither-nor/): neither … nor

Previous in Saying no and not: [Neither … nor: không … cũng không](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/neither-nor/)
Next in Saying no and not: [Not at all, really: không … đâu](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-dau-not-at-all/)

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