# A lot, a little in Vietnamese (A1)

> Nhiều (a lot) and ít (a little) can say how much you do something. Then they go after the verb, or after the verb and the thing it's done to: Anh ấy ăn…

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nhieu-it-after-verb/ · Updated 2026-11-09

**a lot / little (how much you do)**

Pattern: `[verb] + nhiều / ít (+ hơn) · ít + [verb] (= not often, not much)`

Level: A1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

*Nhiều* (a lot) and *ít* (a little) can say how much you do something. Then they go after the verb, or after the verb and the thing it's done to: *Anh ấy ăn nhiều.* He eats a lot. *Dạo này em ngủ ít.* I haven't been sleeping much lately. *Cảm ơn chị nhiều.* Thanks a lot.

Add *hơn* to compare: *ăn nhiều hơn* (eat more), *nói ít hơn* (talk less). A host might tell you *Ăn nhiều vô!* Eat up! (in Hà Nội *Ăn nhiều vào!*).

*Ít* can also go before the verb, meaning "not often, not much": *Dạo này tôi ít đi chơi.* I don't go out much these days. *Ba em ít nói.* My dad doesn't say much.

Right before a noun, *nhiều* and *ít* mean "many" and "few", so they count the thing, not the doing: *uống nhiều nước* is "drink a lot of water". For liking something a lot, *rất* or *lắm* is the usual choice: *Tôi thích Sài Gòn lắm.*

## A common mistake

✗ Tôi thích nhiều Sài Gòn.

✓ Tôi thích Sài Gòn lắm.

*Nhiều* right before a noun means "many", so *nhiều Sài Gòn* makes no sense. For liking something a lot, use *lắm* or *rất*.

## Examples

- Cảm ơn chị nhiều. — Thanks a lot.
- Saigon: Anh ăn nhiều vô nha! | Hà Nội: Anh ăn nhiều vào nhé! — Have plenty to eat!
- Dạo này em ngủ ít quá. — I've been sleeping so little lately.
- Em nên đi bộ nhiều hơn. — You should walk more.
- Saigon: Ba em ít nói lắm. | Hà Nội: Bố em ít nói lắm. — My dad doesn't talk much.

## Compare

- [Many, few: nhiều / ít + noun](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nhieu-it/): many / few
- [Very: rất before the adjective](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/rat-very/): very

Next in Things, counting and numbers: [All alike, both: đều before the verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/deu-all/)

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