# tự nhiên meaning in Vietnamese: natural (B1)

> tự nhiên means “natural” in Vietnamese. It can also mean at ease, suddenly. Examples with audio, in Northern and Southern wording.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/tu-nhien/ · Updated 2026-10-21

**tự nhiên**: natural · at ease · suddenly

Level: B1 (our estimate)

Typed without accents: tu nhien

## 1. natural (adjective)

- Câu này nghe chưa tự nhiên lắm. — This sentence doesn't sound quite natural yet.
- Chị ấy cười rất tự nhiên. — She has a very natural smile.

## 2. at ease (adjective)

at ease, relaxed

*Cứ tự nhiên*: make yourself at home.

- Cứ tự nhiên nha, coi như nhà mình. — Make yourself at home.
- Mới gặp nên em còn chưa tự nhiên. — We've only just met, so I'm not quite at ease yet.

## 3. suddenly (adverb)

suddenly, out of the blue

Saigon's everyday word, often with a feeling of 'for no reason'. Hà Nội more often says *tự dưng*.

- Saigon: Tự nhiên trời mưa lớn. | Hà Nội: Tự nhiên trời mưa to. — It suddenly started pouring.
- Tự nhiên con mèo chạy mất. — The cat suddenly ran off.

Level: B1 · to recognize

Grammar: [Suddenly: tự nhiên, tự dưng, bỗng (nhiên)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/bong-suddenly/)

Previous: [quý](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/quy-precious/)
Next: [vụ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/vu-for-incidents/)

---

Add to Vietnamese Buddy: https://app.vietnamesebuddy.com/waitlist?source=word%3Aw_tu_nhien
In the app, any word you meet while reading can go into your lexicon with its audio, ready to study with flashcards and spaced repetition.
