# Cả … cũng / ngay cả: even in Vietnamese (A2)

> To say "even X", put ngay cả, or just cả, before X, and cũng before the verb: Ngay cả ba em cũng không biết. Even my dad doesn't know.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ngay-ca-even/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**even**

Pattern: `(Ngay) cả + [X] + (person) + cũng + [verb]`

Level: A2 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: ca … cung, ngay ca

To say "even X", put *ngay cả*, or just *cả*, before X, and *cũng* before the verb: *Ngay cả ba em cũng không biết.* Even my dad doesn't know. X is the one you'd least expect, and *cũng* (also) is what carries the "even".

X can be a person, a time or a thing: *Cả chủ nhật anh ấy cũng đi làm.* He works even on Sundays. When X is the thing, it moves to the front and the person comes after it: *Bận quá, cả cơm em cũng chưa ăn.* I've been so busy I haven't even eaten. *Ngay cả* is a little more emphatic than plain *cả*.

Don't leave out *cũng*; *còn* can take its place, *Ngay cả ba em còn không biết*. Without one of them, *cả* usually means "the whole" or "all": *cả nhà* is the whole family.

*Thậm chí* also means "even", but it goes before a whole statement, often adding one more step: *Anh ấy không gọi, thậm chí không nhắn tin.* He didn't call, didn't even text. For "even if", use *dù* or *ngay cả khi*.

## A common mistake

✗ Ngay cả ba em không biết.

✓ Ngay cả ba em cũng không biết.

*Ngay cả* needs *cũng* (or *còn*) before the verb. Without it the sentence sounds unfinished.

## Examples

- Saigon: Ngay cả ba em cũng không biết. | Hà Nội: Ngay cả bố em cũng không biết. — Even my dad doesn't know.
- Cả chủ nhật anh ấy cũng đi làm. — He works even on Sundays.
- Bận quá, cả cơm em cũng chưa ăn. — I've been so busy I haven't even eaten.
- Món này dễ lắm, ngay cả em cũng nấu được. — This dish is really easy, even I can make it.

## Compare

- [The whole, all of: cả](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ca-whole/): all / the whole
- [Even: thậm chí](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/tham-chi-even/): even
- [Even if, even when: dù (cho) … thì … cũng, ngay cả khi](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/du-even-if/): even if / although
- [The very, exactly: chính](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/chinh-very/): it was X who / the very
- [Including: kể cả](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ke-ca-including/): including
- [Let alone: … nữa là, huống hồ, huống chi](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/huong-ho-let-alone/): let alone, much less

Previous in Là, có, and how verbs work together: [Each other: nhau](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nhau-each-other/)
Next in Là, có, and how verbs work together: [Get (good) or suffer (bad): được / bị + noun](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/duoc-bi-receive/)

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