# Kịp / không … kịp: have (no) time to in Vietnamese (A2)

> Kịp means "in time": before it's too late, or fast enough to keep up. Before a verb, kịp says whether you had time to do it, most often with không: Sáng…

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/kip-in-time/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**have (no) time to**

Pattern: `[person] + không + [verb] + kịp · [person] + kịp + [verb] · (cũng) kịp`

Level: A2 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: kip, khong … kip

*Kịp* means "in time": before it's too late, or fast enough to keep up.

Before a verb, *kịp* says whether you had time to do it, most often with *không*: *Sáng nay em không kịp ăn sáng.* I didn't have time for breakfast this morning.

After a verb, it says you did it in time: *May quá, em tới kịp.* Luckily I got there in time. With *không*, it says you couldn't keep up: *Anh nói nhanh quá, em nghe không kịp.* You're talking too fast, I can't keep up. In Saigon *không* often sits right after the verb here, as in *ngủ không được*; *không nghe kịp* is also fine.

On its own, *kịp* asks or answers whether you'll make it: *Có kịp không anh?* Will we make it? *Chắc kịp.* We should. *Còn kịp* means there's still time, and *Không kịp rồi* means it's too late now.

*Kịp* is only about timing. For "can" in general, use *được*: *em nghe được* is "I can hear", but *em nghe không kịp* is "I can't keep up".

## Examples

- Sáng nay em không kịp ăn sáng. — I didn't have time for breakfast this morning.
- Anh nói chậm chút, em nghe không kịp. — Slow down a bit, I can't keep up.
- Còn mười phút nữa, có kịp không anh? — Only ten minutes left, will we make it?
- Đi taxi thì chắc còn kịp. — If we take a taxi, we should still make it.

## Words in this pattern

- [kịp](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/kip-be-in-time/#s_kip_be_in_time): be in time

## Compare

- [Can, manage to: được after the verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/duoc-can-after-verb/): be able to
- [Can't manage it (too much, too hard): verb + không nổi / không xuể](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khong-noi-cannot-manage/): can't manage, can't cope

Previous in Là, có, and how verbs work together: [Verb + verb with no 'to': thích học, đi ăn](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/verb-verb/)
Next in Là, có, and how verbs work together: [About (a topic): về](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ve-about/)

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