# Thay vì: instead of in Vietnamese (B1)

> Thay vì means "instead of". Put it before the thing you don't do, then say what you do instead: Thay vì đi taxi, em đi xe buýt.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/thay-vi-instead/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**instead of**

Pattern: `Thay vì + [verb or noun], [person] + [verb]`

Level: B1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: thay vi

Variants:

- thay vào đó (instead, sentence start)

*Thay vì* means "instead of". Put it before the thing you don't do, then say what you do instead: *Thay vì đi taxi, em đi xe buýt.* Instead of taking a taxi, I take the bus. It can also come after the main part: *Em đi xe buýt thay vì đi taxi.*

What follows *thay vì* is usually a plain verb, with no "-ing" form: *thay vì ngồi nhà*, instead of sitting at home. A noun works too: *Em uống trà thay vì cà phê.* It's handy for suggestions: *Tối nay mình nấu cơm thay vì đi ăn ngoài nha.* Let's cook tonight instead of eating out.

To start a new sentence with "instead", use *thay vào đó*: *Em không đi Đà Lạt. Thay vào đó, em về quê.* I'm not going to Đà Lạt. Instead, I'm going back to my home town.

*Thay* on its own is the verb "to replace" or "to change": *thay áo* (change your shirt). Before a person, it means "in someone's place": *Để em làm thay chị.* Let me do it for you.

## Examples

- Thay vì đi taxi, em đi xe buýt. — Instead of taking a taxi, I take the bus.
- Saigon: Tối nay mình nấu cơm thay vì đi ăn ngoài nha. | Hà Nội: Tối nay mình nấu cơm thay vì đi ăn ngoài nhé. — Let's cook tonight instead of eating out.
- Thay vì ngồi nhà, mình đi dạo đi. — Instead of sitting at home, let's go for a walk.
- Em không đi Đà Lạt. Thay vào đó, em về quê. — I'm not going to Đà Lạt. Instead, I'm going back to my home town.

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