# Để: in order to / so that in Vietnamese (A1)

> Để before a verb says what something is for, like "to" or "in order to": Tôi học tiếng Việt để nói chuyện với ba mẹ vợ.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/de-purpose/ · Updated 2026-11-09

**in order to / so that**

Pattern: `[verb 1] + để + [verb 2] · [sentence] + để + [person] + [verb] · [đi / ra / về] + [place] + [verb] (no để) · Để + [verb], …`

Level: A1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: de

*Để* before a verb says what something is for, like "to" or "in order to": *Tôi học tiếng Việt để nói chuyện với ba mẹ vợ.* I'm learning Vietnamese to talk with my wife's parents. The action comes first, then *để*, then the purpose.

When the purpose involves someone else, put that person after *để*, like "so that": *Anh nói chậm một chút để em hiểu.* Speak a bit more slowly so I can follow.

After a verb of going, such as *đi*, *ra* or *về*, *để* is usually left out, and the two verbs just follow each other: *Em ra chợ mua rau.* I'm going to the market to buy vegetables.

*Để* can also open the sentence, to put the purpose first. This is more common in writing and careful speech: *Để nói giỏi, mình phải nói mỗi ngày.* To speak well, you have to speak every day.

Two look-alikes: *để làm gì?* asks "what for?", and *để* with a person after it, at the start of a sentence, usually means "let": *Để em giúp chị.* Let me help you. And *để* is also an everyday verb for "put, leave": *Em để chìa khóa ở đâu?* Where did you put the key?

## Examples

- Saigon: Tôi học tiếng Việt để nói chuyện với ba mẹ vợ. | Hà Nội: Tôi học tiếng Việt để nói chuyện với bố mẹ vợ. — I'm learning Vietnamese to talk with my wife's parents.
- Anh nói chậm một chút để em hiểu. — Speak a bit more slowly so I can follow.
- Em ra chợ mua rau. — I'm going to the market to buy vegetables.
- Chị dậy sớm để nấu cơm. — I get up early to cook.

## Words in this pattern

- [để](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/de-in-order-to/#s_de_in_order_to): in order to

## Compare

- [Let me: Để + person + verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/de-let/): let (someone) do
- [What for? (để) làm gì](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/de-lam-gi-what-for/): what for?
- [So as to (spoken): verb + mà + verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ma-purpose/): to, so as to (spoken)
- [With the aim of: nhằm](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nham-aim/): aimed at

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Next in Linking ideas: [With (a person), and in speech: với](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/voi-with/)

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