# Đây là / đó là / kia là: this / that is in Vietnamese

> To introduce someone or show something, start with Đây là …: "This is …". Đây là Minh, bạn em. This is Minh, my friend. Đây là nhà tôi. This is my place.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/day-la-this-is/ · Updated 2026-11-09

**this / that is**

Pattern: `Đây / Đó / Kia + là + [noun]`

Level: A1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: day la, do la, kia la

Saigon: đây; đó; kia | Hà Nội: đây; đấy / đó; kia

To introduce someone or show something, start with *Đây là …*: "This is …". *Đây là Minh, bạn em.* This is Minh, my friend. *Đây là nhà tôi.* This is my place.

For something a little further away, or something just mentioned, use *Đó là …*, "That is …". For something you can see further off, use *Kia là …*, "That over there is …": *Kia là trường của em.* In Hà Nội you'll also hear *Đấy là …*.

*Đây*, *đó* and *kia* stand alone at the start, and *là* links them to a noun. To ask, put *gì* (what) or *ai* (who) where the answer goes: *Đây là gì?* What's this? *Đó là ai?* Who's that?

*Đây là* goes with a noun (or a phrase like *của em*: *Đây là của em.* This is yours), not with a describing word. To describe something, say *cái này* (this one) and add the describing word, with no *là*: *Cái này đẹp quá.* And for "this shirt", put *này* after the noun: *cái áo này*. *Đó* and *kia* go after a noun the same way (*cái áo đó*, *người kia*); *đây* doesn't.

After *ở*, the same words mean "here" and "there": *ở đây*, *ở đó*. At the end of a sentence, *đây* can mean "now": *Em đi đây.* I'm off now.

## A common mistake

✗ Đây là đẹp.

✓ Cái này đẹp quá.

*Đây là* goes before a noun, not a describing word. A describing word needs no *là*: say *cái này* (this one) and add it.

## Examples

- Đây là chị Lan, chủ nhà của em. — This is Lan, my landlady.
- Đây là gì? — What's this?
- Dạ, đó là chè. — That's chè, a sweet dessert.
- Kia là trường của em. — That over there is my school.

## Compare

- [This, that after the noun: … này, … đó, … kia](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/noun-nay-this/): this / that (noun)
- [Is (a noun): là links two nouns](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/la-noun/): to be (+ noun)
- [Classifier alone when the noun is clear: cái này, con kia](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/clf-alone/): this one, that one

Previous in Things, counting and numbers: [The owner comes after the noun: nhà của tôi, mẹ tôi](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/owner-after-noun/)
Next in Things, counting and numbers: [This, that after the noun: … này, … đó, … kia](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/noun-nay-this/)

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