# Liệu … không in Vietnamese (B1)

> You know có … không? for a yes-or-no question. Put liệu in front and the question turns doubtful, like "I wonder whether …" or "will it really …?": Liệu…

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/lieu-wonder/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**I wonder whether; will it really**

Pattern: `Liệu + [person or thing] + có + [verb] + không? · Không biết liệu + [sentence]`

Level: B1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: lieu … khong

You know *có … không?* for a yes-or-no question. Put *liệu* in front and the question turns doubtful, like "I wonder whether …" or "will it really …?": *Liệu mình có kịp chuyến bay không?* Will we really make our flight? You're unsure, and often a little worried.

Nothing else changes: *liệu*, then the person or thing, then *có … không*. After *không biết* (I don't know), it's for wondering aloud: *Không biết liệu mai trời có mưa không.* I wonder whether it'll rain tomorrow. *Liệu* can be left out here: *Không biết mai trời có mưa không* says almost the same, and is more common in relaxed speech.

*Liệu* is frequent in the news, where headlines often drop the *không*: *Liệu giá nhà có tiếp tục tăng?* Will house prices keep rising?

Since you're asking about something nobody knows yet, the answer is usually a guess: *Chắc kịp.* We should make it. *Khó lắm.* It's unlikely.

*Liệu* only asks; it could go either way. *Biết đâu* states a chance and keeps it open, often a hopeful one, while *sợ là* expects the outcome you don't want: *Em sợ là mình không kịp đâu.* I'm afraid we won't make it. *Chẳng lẽ* is stronger: you can hardly believe something and don't want it to be true.

## Examples

- Liệu mình có kịp chuyến bay không? — Will we really make our flight?
- Saigon: Liệu ảnh có chịu không? | Hà Nội: Liệu anh ấy có chịu không? — I wonder whether he'll agree.
- Không biết liệu mai trời có mưa không. — I wonder whether it'll rain tomorrow.
- Liệu giá nhà có tiếp tục tăng? — Will house prices keep rising?

## Compare

- [Whether: có … không inside a sentence, never nếu](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/whether-co-khong/): whether
- [Yes/no questions with có … không](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/co-khong-question/): yes/no question
- [Who knows, maybe: biết đâu](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/biet-dau-maybe/): who knows, maybe
- [I'm afraid that: sợ (là), e (là)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/so-la-afraid/): I'm afraid (that), softening bad news
- [Surely not? chẳng lẽ / lẽ nào](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/chang-le-surely-not/): surely not …?

Previous in Asking questions: [How (can)? làm sao](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/lam-sao-how/)
Next in Asking questions: [No matter who, what, how: dù … cũng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/qword-no-matter/)

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