# Vừa / mới / vừa mới: has just in Vietnamese (A1)

> Vừa, mới and vừa mới before a verb say something has just happened: Anh vừa gọi cho em. I just called you. Em mới ăn rồi. I've just eaten.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/vua-moi-just/ · Updated 2026-11-10

**has just**

Pattern: `[person] + vừa / mới / vừa mới + [verb] (+ rồi)`

Level: A1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: vua, moi, vua moi

*Vừa*, *mới* and *vừa mới* before a verb say something has just happened: *Anh vừa gọi cho em.* I just called you. *Em mới ăn rồi.* I've just eaten. *Vừa mới* is the two together, with a little extra stress. *Mới* is very common in everyday Saigon speech, and *rồi* is often added at the end.

*Mới* can also mean "only recently", even weeks ago, especially with a length of time: *Tôi mới tới Sài Gòn được hai tháng.* I only came to Saigon two months ago.

Don't add *đã*: *vừa* and *mới* already say it happened a moment ago.

*Mới* has two other uses, and its place tells them apart. After a noun it means "new": *xe mới*, a new motorbike. After a time word it often means "not until", later than expected: *Mười giờ chị Lan mới tới.* Chị Lan didn't come until ten. With a recent past time it can still mean "just": *Hôm qua em mới gặp anh ấy.* I just saw him yesterday. The situation tells you which.

English "just" can also mean "only". For that, Vietnamese uses *chỉ*: *chỉ một cái*, just one.

## A common mistake

✗ Tôi mới muốn uống nước.

✓ Tôi chỉ muốn uống nước.

*Tôi mới muốn uống nước* means "only now do I feel like water", not "I only want water". For "just" meaning "only", use *chỉ*.

## Examples

- Saigon: Anh vừa gọi cho em đó. | Hà Nội: Anh vừa gọi cho em đấy. — I just called you.
- Em mới ăn rồi, cảm ơn chị. — I've just eaten, thank you.
- Xe buýt vừa mới chạy. — The bus has just left.
- Saigon: Tôi mới tới Sài Gòn được hai tháng. | Hà Nội: Tôi mới đến Sài Gòn được hai tháng. — I only came to Saigon two months ago.

## Words in this pattern

- [mới](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/moi-only-then/#s_moi_just): just
- [vừa](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/vua-just/#s_vua_just): just
- [vừa mới](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/vua-moi/#s_vua_moi): just now

## Compare

- [Saying it already happened: đã](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/da-past/): did / has done
- [Not until, only then: time + mới](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/moi-not-until/): only then

Previous in Time and when things happen: [In (a time from now): … nữa](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nua-from-now/)
Next in Time and when things happen: [Months by number: tháng tư, tháng giêng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/thang-months/)

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