# Subject, verb, object in Vietnamese (A1)

> The basic order is the same as in English: first the person doing it, then the verb, then the thing: Tôi học tiếng Việt. I'm learning Vietnamese.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/svo-order/ · Updated 2026-11-09

**basic word order**

Pattern: `[subject] + [verb] + [object]`

Level: A1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

The basic order is the same as in English: first the person doing it, then the verb, then the thing: *Tôi học tiếng Việt.* I'm learning Vietnamese. *Mẹ em nấu phở.* My mum's cooking phở.

Unlike English, the words never change shape. The verb stays the same for everyone and for any time, with no "-s", "-ed" or "-ing". The word for a person stays the same whether it does the action or receives it, so *em* is both "I" and "me". Only the order tells you who does what: *Anh Minh gọi em* (Minh called me), *Em gọi anh Minh* (I called Minh). In speech the thing is often moved to the front as the topic, but the doer still comes before the verb: *Cái áo này em mua ở chợ.* This shirt, I bought at the market.

Questions keep the same order too: the question word goes where the answer will go. *Mẹ em nấu gì?* What's your mum cooking?

When it's clear who you mean, the person is often left out: *Ăn cơm chưa?* Have you eaten? *Ăn cơm*, literally "eat rice", is also the everyday way to say "have a meal".

Time words usually come before the verb, often at the very start: *Hôm nay tôi đi làm.* I'm going to work today.

## Examples

- Tôi học tiếng Việt. — I'm learning Vietnamese.
- Mẹ em nấu phở. — My mum's cooking phở.
- Anh Minh gọi em. — Minh called me.
- Em gọi anh Minh. — I called Minh.
- Chị Lan uống cà phê sữa. — Lan drinks coffee with milk.

## Compare

- [Question words stay where the answer goes: Anh đi đâu?, Ai đi?](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/question-word-in-place/): no moving the question word

Previous in Là, có, and how verbs work together: [Only: chỉ … thôi](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/chi-thoi-only/)
Next in Là, có, and how verbs work together: [Talking to, meeting someone: nói với, giới thiệu … với](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/verb-voi/)

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