# Để + person + verb: let (someone) do in Vietnamese (A2)

> Để followed by a person and a verb means "let (someone) do": Lần này để anh trả. Let me pay this time.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/de-let/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**let (someone) do**

Pattern: `Để + [person] + [verb]`

Level: A2 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: de

Situations: [At work](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/?use=work)

*Để* followed by a person and a verb means "let (someone) do": *Lần này để anh trả.* Let me pay this time. Use your own word for "me" with that person, as always: *Để em phụ chị một tay.* Let me give you a hand (in Hà Nội, *giúp*).

It's the everyday way to offer to do something, or to say you'll take care of it: *Để em coi lại rồi báo chị.* Let me check and get back to you (in Hà Nội, *xem lại*).

With someone else after *để*, it means "let them, leave them to it": *Để nó ngủ thêm chút nữa.* Let him sleep a bit longer.

This *để* opens the sentence. After another verb, *để* means "in order to": *Em học tiếng Việt để đi làm.* I'm learning Vietnamese for work. The word order tells you which one you have.

*Cho em* also means "let me", but it asks for something: *Cho em coi* is "Can I see?" *Để em coi* offers: "Let me have a look (and sort it out)".

## Examples

- Lần này để anh trả. — Let me pay this time.
- Saigon: Để em phụ chị một tay. | Hà Nội: Để em giúp chị một tay. — Let me give you a hand.
- Saigon: Để em coi lại rồi báo chị. | Hà Nội: Để em xem lại rồi báo chị. — Let me check and get back to you.
- Để nó ngủ thêm chút nữa. — Let him sleep a bit longer.

## Compare

- [In order to: để](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/de-purpose/): in order to / so that
- [Can I have / let me: Cho tôi / cho em + noun or verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cho-toi-let-me/): give me / let me

Previous in Can, must, should, want: [It seems: hình như, có vẻ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/co-ve-seems/)
Next in Can, must, should, want: [Must not: không được + verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-duoc-must-not/)

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