# Khỏi: no need to, don't bother in Vietnamese (A2)

> Khỏi before a verb means "no need to": Khỏi lo! No need to worry! Em khỏi đón, anh đi taxi về. No need to pick me up, I'll take a taxi home.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khoi-no-need/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**no need to, don't bother**

Pattern: `khỏi (cần / phải) + [verb] · [A] (rồi) + khỏi + [verb] · Khỏi! (reply)`

Level: A2 (our estimate) · Register: everyday · Medium: spoken

Typed without accents: khoi

Saigon: khỏi; khỏi cần | Hà Nội: khỏi phải; không cần

Variants:

- Khỏi! (reply: no need)

*Khỏi* before a verb means "no need to": *Khỏi lo!* No need to worry! *Em khỏi đón, anh đi taxi về.* No need to pick me up, I'll take a taxi home. It's everyday Saigon speech, quicker and more relaxed than *không cần*.

*Khỏi cần* and *khỏi phải* mean the same. In Hà Nội people more often say *khỏi phải* or *không cần*.

Often the first half says what makes the second unnecessary: *Mua vé trên mạng rồi, khỏi xếp hàng.* We've bought the tickets online, so there's no need to queue.

On its own, *Khỏi!* or *Thôi khỏi* turns down an offer: "no need, don't bother". Among friends it sounds easy and warm. With someone older, *Dạ, không cần đâu* is the safer choice.

Don't mix it up with *khỏi* after a verb of leaving, as in *ra khỏi nhà* (leave the house), or with *không khỏi* in the news, "can't help feeling". *Khỏi lo* is "don't worry", but *không khỏi lo lắng* is "can't help worrying".

## Examples

- Saigon: Khỏi lo, để em làm cho. | Hà Nội: Khỏi phải lo, để em làm cho. — Don't worry, I'll do it for you.
- Saigon: Em khỏi đón, anh đi taxi về. | Hà Nội: Em không cần đón, anh đi taxi về. — No need to pick me up, I'll take a taxi home.
- Saigon: Mua vé trên mạng rồi, khỏi xếp hàng. | Hà Nội: Mua vé trên mạng rồi, khỏi phải xếp hàng. — We've bought the tickets online, so there's no need to queue.
- Saigon: Để em phụ chị nha? | Hà Nội: Để em giúp chị nhé? — Shall I give you a hand?
- Saigon: Thôi khỏi, chị làm được mà. | Hà Nội: Thôi không cần, chị làm được mà. — No need, I can manage.

## Compare

- [Need (to): cần](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/can-need/): need
- [Out of, leave: ra khỏi](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ra-khoi/): get out of
- [Can't help (feeling): không khỏi](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-khoi/): cannot help
- [That's enough, never mind: Thôi!](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/thoi-enough/): stop / enough

Previous in Can, must, should, want: [Need (to): cần](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/can-need/)
Next in Can, must, should, want: [Perhaps: có lẽ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/co-le-perhaps/)

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