# Đồng thời: simultaneously / also in Vietnamese (B2)

> Đồng thời means "at the same time", and in official writing more often simply "and also".

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/dong-thoi/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**simultaneously / also**

Pattern: `[action 1], đồng thời + [action 2] · Đồng thời, …`

Level: B2 (our estimate) · Register: formal

Typed without accents: dong thoi

*Đồng thời* means "at the same time", and in official writing more often simply "and also". It links a second action to the first, after a comma: *Bộ yêu cầu các trường giảm sĩ số lớp, đồng thời tăng giờ thực hành* (the ministry asked schools to reduce class sizes and also to add practical hours). It can also open a new sentence: *Đồng thời, …* (at the same time, …).

It's very common in government statements, directives and the news reporting them, where one decision often has several parts. The actions needn't happen at the same moment; *đồng thời* presents them as one package. Between two job titles it means "and also": *Phó Hiệu trưởng, đồng thời là Trưởng khoa Ngữ văn* (vice-principal and also head of literature).

When timing really matters, *cùng lúc* is clearer: *hai vụ cháy xảy ra cùng lúc* (two fires broke out at the same time).

Compare *vừa … vừa* (both … and), the everyday way to say one person does two things at once or something has two qualities: *Chị ấy vừa đi học vừa đi làm* (she studies and works at the same time). *Đồng thời* belongs to writing; *vừa … vừa* to both speech and writing.

In conversation, use *vừa … vừa* or *cùng lúc*; *đồng thời* sounds like an official announcement.

## Examples

- Thành phố sẽ mở rộng các tuyến xe buýt điện, đồng thời hạn chế xe cá nhân vào khu trung tâm. — The city will expand its electric bus routes and at the same time restrict private vehicles in the centre.
- Bộ Y tế đề nghị người dân tiêm vắc-xin đầy đủ, đồng thời theo dõi sức khỏe tại nhà. — The Ministry of Health urged people to get fully vaccinated and also to monitor their health at home.
- Đồng thời, ngân hàng cũng giảm lãi suất cho vay đối với doanh nghiệp nhỏ. — At the same time, the bank also cut lending rates for small businesses.
- Ông Hải là giảng viên, đồng thời là trưởng phòng đào tạo của trường. — Mr Hải is a lecturer and also head of the university's training office.

## Compare

- [Both … and, at the same time: vừa … vừa](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/vua-vua/): both … and / while

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