# Without, when ordering in Vietnamese (A1)

> When you order, put không before something you don't want, straight after the dish or drink: nước cam, không đá (orange juice, no ice), phở bò, không…

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-without-ordering/ · Updated 2026-11-09

**without (an ingredient)**

Pattern: `[dish or drink] + không + [ingredient] · [dish] + ít + [ingredient] (less)`

Level: A1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Situations: [Shops and services](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/?use=service)

Variants:

- ít + [ingredient] (less of it)

When you order, put *không* before something you don't want, straight after the dish or drink: *nước cam, không đá* (orange juice, no ice), *phở bò, không hành* (beef phở, no onions). You know *không* before a verb as "not". Before a food word, it means "no" or "without". At the end of a question it asks yes or no, so the seller may ask *Có đá không?* (Ice?), and you answer *Không đá.*

It goes at the end of the order: *Cho em một ly nước cam, không đá.* One orange juice, no ice, please (in Hà Nội, *một cốc*). Add *nha* and the person's word to sound friendly: *Một tô phở bò, không hành nha chị.*

For less of something, use *ít* in the same place: *ít đường* (not too sweet), *ít đá* (not much ice). For more, say *thêm*: *Cho em thêm đá.* More ice, please.

Menus use the same pattern: *cà phê đen không đường* is black coffee with no sugar. In Saigon you'll also hear *không bỏ hành*, "don't put onions in".

This is for what goes into your food and drink. "Without doing something" is a later pattern, with *mà không*.

## Examples

- Saigon: Cho em một ly nước cam, không đá. | Hà Nội: Cho em một cốc nước cam, không đá. — One orange juice, no ice, please.
- Saigon: Một tô phở bò, không hành nha chị. | Hà Nội: Một bát phở bò, không hành nhé chị. — One beef phở, no onions, please.
- Saigon: Bánh mì thịt, không ớt nha anh. | Hà Nội: Bánh mì thịt, không ớt nhé anh. — A pork bánh mì, no chilli, please.
- Saigon: Nước mía, ít đá nha. | Hà Nội: Nước mía, ít đá nhé. — A sugarcane juice, not too much ice, please.

## Compare

- [Not: không before the verb or adjective](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-not/): not
- [Without doing: … mà không + verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ma-khong-without/): without (doing)
- [Can I have / let me: Cho tôi / cho em + noun or verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cho-toi-let-me/): give me / let me

Previous in Things, counting and numbers: [Which classifier: cái for things, con for animals, người for people, and the common others](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/clf-cai-chiec/)
Next in Things, counting and numbers: [A few: vài / mấy + classifier + noun](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/vai-few/)

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