# Nếu … thì / nếu: if in Vietnamese (A1)

> Nếu means "if". Put the condition after nếu, then the result, usually starting with thì: Nếu mai trời mưa thì mình ở nhà.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/neu-thi-if/ · Updated 2026-11-10

**if**

Pattern: `Nếu + [condition] (thì) + [result] · [result] + nếu + [condition] · [condition] + thì + [result]`

Level: A1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: neu … thi, neu

Variants:

- nếu mà (speech)

*Nếu* means "if". Put the condition after *nếu*, then the result, usually starting with *thì*: *Nếu mai trời mưa thì mình ở nhà.* If it rains tomorrow, we'll stay home. *Thì* works like "then": it marks where the result begins. It's optional, but very common in speech.

The result can also come first, and then there's no *thì*: *Gọi chị nếu em cần gì nha.* Call me if you need anything.

In speech you'll often hear *nếu mà*, which means the same and sounds more conversational: *Nếu mà kẹt xe thì em tới trễ.* In relaxed talk *nếu* often drops out, leaving just *thì*: *Rảnh thì ghé nhà chị chơi nha.* Drop by if you're free. The verb never changes, and *sẽ* (will) is usually not needed.

English "if" can also mean "whether": "I don't know if Minh is coming." *Nếu* can't do that. Vietnamese puts *có … không* inside the sentence instead: *Tôi không biết Minh có tới không.* And for something that will surely happen, use *khi* (when) rather than *nếu*.

## A common mistake

✗ Tôi không biết nếu Minh tới.

✓ Tôi không biết Minh có tới không.

Here English "if" means "whether". *Nếu* only sets a condition; for "whether", put *có … không* inside the sentence.

## Examples

- Nếu mai trời mưa thì mình ở nhà. — If it rains tomorrow, we'll stay home.
- Saigon: Nếu mà kẹt xe thì em tới trễ. | Hà Nội: Nếu mà tắc đường thì em đến muộn. — If there's traffic, I'll be late.
- Saigon: Gọi chị nếu em cần gì nha. | Hà Nội: Gọi chị nếu em cần gì nhé. — Call me if you need anything.
- Saigon: Rảnh thì ghé nhà chị chơi nha. | Hà Nội: Rảnh thì ghé nhà chị chơi nhé. — Drop by my place if you're free.

## Words in this pattern

- [nếu](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/neu-if/#s_neu_if): if
- [thì](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/thi-then/#s_thi_then): then

## Compare

- [Whether: có … không inside a sentence, never nếu](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/whether-co-khong/): whether
- [When: khi … (thì)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/khi-when/): when (+ sentence)
- [If it had …, would have: nếu (như) … thì … đã](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/neu-unreal-past/): if … had (unreal)
- [In case (something goes wrong): lỡ / nhỡ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/lo-in-case/): in case / what if
- [As long as: miễn là](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/mien-la-provided/): provided that

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Next in Linking ideas: [In order to: để](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/de-purpose/)

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