# Sự + verb: the … (abstract noun) in Vietnamese (B1)

> Sự before a verb or an adjective turns it into a noun for the idea itself, like English "-ment", "-ness" or "-tion": phát triển (develop) becomes sự phát…

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/su-nominal/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**the … (abstract noun)**

Pattern: `sự + [verb or adjective] (sự phát triển)`

Level: B1 (our estimate) · Register: formal

Typed without accents: su

*Sự* before a verb or an adjective turns it into a noun for the idea itself, like English "-ment", "-ness" or "-tion": *phát triển* (develop) becomes *sự phát triển* (development), *giúp đỡ* (help) becomes *sự giúp đỡ*, *khác nhau* (different) becomes *sự khác nhau* (the difference).

You need it when that idea is the subject or the object of a sentence, often with *của* (of) after it: *Cảm ơn sự giúp đỡ của anh.* Thank you for your help. *Sự khác nhau giữa hai từ này là gì?* What's the difference between these two words?

It's typical of writing, the news and speeches, and it mostly goes with two-syllable words. In speech, Vietnamese usually keeps the plain verb or adjective: where a report says *sự phát triển của thành phố*, a friend says *Thành phố phát triển nhanh quá.* The city's growing so fast. A few *sự* words are everyday, though, like *sự thật* (the truth).

*Việc* before a verb is close, but it names an action someone does: *việc học tiếng Việt* (learning Vietnamese). *Sự* names a quality or a process. *Cuộc* names an event: *cuộc họp* (a meeting).

## A common mistake

✗ Tôi thích sự đọc sách.

✓ Tôi thích đọc sách.

A verb can follow *thích* directly. *Sự* makes abstract nouns for formal sentences; it isn't an "-ing" for every verb.

## Examples

- Cảm ơn sự giúp đỡ của anh. — Thank you for your help.
- Đó là sự thật. — That's the truth.
- Sự khác nhau giữa hai từ này là gì? — What's the difference between these two words?
- Sự phát triển của du lịch mang lại nhiều việc làm. — The growth of tourism has brought many jobs.

## Compare

- [The doing of something: việc + verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/viec-nominal/): the act of …ing
- [Events and sessions: cuộc + word, buổi + word (cuộc họp, buổi học)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cuoc-event-noun/): an event / a session
- [The beautiful, the good: cái + adjective](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cai-nominal/): the … (abstract)
- [Feelings as nouns: nỗi buồn, niềm vui](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/noi-niem-feeling-nouns/): turning a feeling into a noun

Previous in How words are built: [The doing of something: việc + verb](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/viec-nominal/)
Next in How words are built: [… and stuff (dismissive): sách siếc, học hiếc](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/redup-iec/)

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