# Không hề / chưa hề: not in the least in Vietnamese (B1)

> Hề between không and the verb makes "not" absolute, "not in the least", "not at all": Tôi không hề biết chuyện đó. I had no idea about that at all.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-he-never/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**not in the least**

Pattern: `[person] + không / chưa + hề + [verb]`

Level: B1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: khong he, chua he

*Hề* between *không* and the verb makes "not" absolute, "not in the least", "not at all": *Tôi không hề biết chuyện đó.* I had no idea about that at all. With *chưa* (not yet), it's "never once, up to now": *Em chưa hề đi máy bay.* I've never once been on a plane.

It sounds firm and serious. You'll meet it often in the news, in statements and in stories: *Công ty không hề thông báo.* The company gave no notice whatsoever. It also goes before adjectives, often in reviews: *Giá không hề rẻ.* It isn't cheap at all.

There are other ways to say "not at all". *Không … đâu*, which you know, reassures or turns something down: *Không sao đâu.* *Không … chút nào* puts "at all" at the end and is the everyday spoken one: *Không vui chút nào.* *Không hề* comes before the verb and is the strongest and most serious of them. For a plain "never", *chưa bao giờ* and *không bao giờ* are the everyday words.

## Examples

- Tôi không hề biết chuyện đó. — I had no idea about that at all.
- Em chưa hề đi máy bay. — I've never once been on a plane.
- Giá ở đây không hề rẻ. — Prices here aren't cheap at all.
- Anh ấy không hề nói với ai. — He didn't tell anyone at all.

## Compare

- [Not: không before the verb or adjective](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-not/): not
- [Not at all, really: không … đâu](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-dau-not-at-all/): not at all
- [Not one bit: không … chút nào / tí nào](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ti-nao-at-all/): not at all
- [Ever and never so far: … bao giờ chưa, chưa … bao giờ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/chua-bao-gio-ever/): have you ever? / never yet

Previous in Saying no and not: [Not always: không phải lúc nào cũng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-phai-luc-nao/)
Next in Saying no and not: [Not one bit: không … chút nào / tí nào](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ti-nao-at-all/)

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