# Sắp: about to in Vietnamese (A1)

> Sắp before a verb says something is about to happen, any minute or very soon: Trời sắp mưa. It's about to rain.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/sap-about-to/ · Updated 2026-11-09

**about to**

Pattern: `[person / thing] + sắp + [verb] (+ rồi) · Sắp + [event] + rồi · … sắp + [verb] + chưa?`

Level: A1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: sap

*Sắp* before a verb says something is about to happen, any minute or very soon: *Trời sắp mưa.* It's about to rain. *Rồi* often follows at the end, making it feel close: *Xe sắp tới rồi.* The car's almost here.

It can also go before an event: *Sắp Tết rồi.* Tết is almost here.

*Sắp* already means "soon", so it usually doesn't go with a time word like *ngày mai* or *tuần sau*. When you name the time, drop *sắp* and let the time word do the work, or use *sẽ*: *Tuần sau tôi về quê.*

To ask whether something is about to happen, end with *chưa*: *Cơm sắp xong chưa?* Is the food nearly ready? Answer *Sắp rồi* (nearly) or *Chưa* (not yet). To say it's still a long way off, people say *còn lâu*: *Chưa đâu, còn lâu lắm.* Not yet, not for a long while.

## A common mistake

✗ Ngày mai tôi sắp đi Đà Lạt.

✓ Ngày mai tôi đi Đà Lạt.

*Sắp* already means "soon", so a time word like *ngày mai* clashes with it. The time word is enough on its own, or use *sẽ*.

## Examples

- Trời sắp mưa rồi. — It's about to rain.
- Chị sắp có em bé. — I'm having a baby soon.
- Sắp Tết rồi. — Tết is almost here.
- Cơm sắp xong chưa em? — Is the food nearly ready?
- Dạ, sắp rồi. — Nearly.

## Words in this pattern

- [sắp](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/sap-about-to/#s_sap_about_to): about to

## Compare

- [Saying it will happen: sẽ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/se-future/): will
- [Not yet: chưa](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/chua-not-yet/): not yet

Next in Time and when things happen: [Already: … rồi, and Rồi as the yes to 'yet?'](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/roi-already/)

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