# (để) làm gì: what for? in Vietnamese (A2)

> Để làm gì? at the end of a question asks what something is for: Em học tiếng Việt để làm gì? What are you learning Vietnamese for?

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/de-lam-gi-what-for/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**what for?**

Pattern: `[person] + [verb] + (để) làm gì?`

Level: A2 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: (de) lam gi

*Để làm gì?* at the end of a question asks what something is for: *Em học tiếng Việt để làm gì?* What are you learning Vietnamese for? It's literally "in order to do what?", and the answer usually starts with *để*: *Dạ, để đi du lịch.* For travelling.

In speech *để* is often dropped: *Anh mua nhiều nước vậy làm gì?* What did you buy so much water for? Without *để*, the question can sound less curious and more doubtful, as if there's no good reason: *Đi sớm vậy làm gì?* What's the point of going so early? Said on its own, *Lo làm gì!* means "No point worrying!"

Watch the place. *Làm gì* straight after the person is the plain question "doing what?": *Em làm gì vậy?* What are you doing? After another verb, it asks "what for?"

*Tại sao* or *sao* asks for the reason, and is answered with *vì* (because). *Để làm gì* asks for the purpose, and is answered with *để* (to, so that). English "why" covers both, so think about which one you mean.

## Examples

- Em học tiếng Việt để làm gì? — What are you learning Vietnamese for?
- Dạ, để đi du lịch. — For travelling.
- Saigon: Anh mua nhiều nước vậy làm gì? | Hà Nội: Anh mua nhiều nước thế làm gì? — What did you buy so much water for?
- Saigon: Đi sớm vậy làm gì? | Hà Nội: Đi sớm thế làm gì? — What's the point of going so early?

## Compare

- [Why? tại sao / vì sao / sao first](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/tai-sao-why/): why?
- [In order to: để](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/de-purpose/): in order to / so that
- [What's the point?: … (mà) làm gì](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/lam-gi-whats-the-point/): there is no point in

Previous in Asking questions: [Someone, something, somewhere: ai đó, gì đó, đâu đó](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/qword-do-some/)
Next in Asking questions: [Whether: có … không inside a sentence, never nếu](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/whether-co-khong/)

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