# Không … đâu: not at all in Vietnamese (A1)

> Đâu at the end of a sentence with không makes the "no" firmer and more personal, like "not at all" or "really not": Em không mệt đâu.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-dau-not-at-all/ · Updated 2026-11-10

**not at all**

Pattern: `[person] + không + [verb or adjective] + đâu`

Level: A1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday · Medium: spoken

Typed without accents: khong … dau

*Đâu* at the end of a sentence with *không* makes the "no" firmer and more personal, like "not at all" or "really not": *Em không mệt đâu.* I'm not tired at all, really. People use it to reassure someone or to put right what they think: *Không xa đâu*, it isn't far, don't worry.

The phrase you'll hear most is *Không sao đâu*: it's fine, no problem, don't worry about it. With someone older, add their word: *Không sao đâu chị.*

It can also turn something down while making clear you mean it: *Em không uống đâu.* I really won't have a drink. Said warmly, it's friendly; said sharply, it can sound blunt.

This *đâu* doesn't mean "where": it comes at the end of a "not" sentence (with *không*, and also with *chưa*: *Em chưa đói đâu*, I'm not hungry yet, really), and the sentence isn't a question. Now and then a sentence can be read both ways: *Anh không đi đâu* is "I'm not going" or "I'm not going anywhere". The situation decides.

In Saigon, *đâu có* before the verb is a very common, stronger denial: *Em đâu có nói vậy!* I never said that! That's a later pattern.

## Examples

- Không sao đâu chị. — It's fine, don't worry.
- Em không mệt đâu. — I'm not tired at all, really.
- Chợ không xa đâu, đi bộ năm phút. — The market isn't far at all, it's a five-minute walk.
- Món này không cay đâu, anh ăn thử đi. — This isn't spicy at all, go on, try it.

## Words in this pattern

- [đâu](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/dau-where/#s_dau_not_at_all): not at all

## Compare

- [Where to? đi đâu, no ở](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/di-dau-where-to/): where to?
- [But I didn't! có … đâu, đâu có](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/co-dau-denial/): denying what was said

Previous in Saying no and not: [Not … either: cũng không](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cung-khong-either/)
Next in Saying no and not: [Not very: không … lắm](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-lam-not-very/)

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