Finishing off the rest: verb + cho hết, cho xong / nốt

To say you'll finish off what's left, Saigon speech puts cho hết (until it's all gone) or cho xong (until it's done) after the verb: Con ăn cho hết chén cơm đi. Eat up the rest of your rice. Để em làm cho xong cái này rồi về. Let me finish this off, then I'll go home. Cho hết suits things you use up, such as food or pages; cho xong suits jobs. Luôn often follows: đọc cho hết luôn.

You know hết and xong. Cho in front makes them a goal: ăn hết says nothing is left, while ăn cho hết means eating until nothing is left. So they suit requests and plans: Mình dọn cho xong rồi đi ăn nha.

In Hà Nội, the word is nốt: ăn nốt (eat up the rest), làm nốt (finish the remaining work). Part is already done, and nốt deals with what remains: Để em làm nốt cái này rồi về. An object goes after it: ăn nốt bát cơm. Saigon speakers understand nốt, and some use it in careful speech.

Hà Nội speakers also say còn nốt for "the last one left": Còn nốt một cái thôi. There's only one left.