Vietnamese 'bao nhiêu ... bấy nhiêu' Usage (As much ... as much)
'bao nhiêu ... bấy nhiêu' commonly expresses 'as much ... as much', a structure important for learners to master.
Quick explanation
Quick explanation
'bao nhiêu ... bấy nhiêu' commonly expresses 'as much ... as much', a structure important for learners to master.
English meanings
- As much ... as much
Grammar pattern
Examples
1
Bạn cần bao nhiêu, tôi đưa bấy nhiêu.
You need as much as you want, I will give that much.
2
Anh ấy kiếm được bao nhiêu tiêu bấy nhiêu.
He spends as much as he earns.
How to use it
'bao nhiêu ... bấy nhiêu' means 'as much ... as much', where the first part states an uncertain quantity, and the second part responds with the same quantity.
- 'bao nhiêu' appears in the first clause to ask or indicate an unknown quantity.
- 'bấy nhiêu' appears in the second clause to indicate the same quantity.
- Commonly used with amounts, money, degree, or expressions like 'earn as much as spend'.
Compared with English
Compared with English
In English, 'however much you want, I'll give you that much' often omits the second 'much'; Vietnamese uses 'bao nhiêu' and 'bấy nhiêu' as a clear pair to show correspondence.
Common mistakes
Bạn cần bao nhiêu, tôi đưa bao nhiêu.
Bạn cần bao nhiêu, tôi đưa bấy nhiêu.
The second clause should use 'bấy nhiêu' to correspond to 'bao nhiêu'.
Anh ấy kiếm được bấy nhiêu tiêu bao nhiêu.
Anh ấy kiếm được bao nhiêu tiêu bấy nhiêu.
The order matters: 'bao nhiêu' first, then 'bấy nhiêu'.
Commonly confused grammar
Practice
Multiple choice
What does 'bao nhiêu ... bấy nhiêu' express?
Show answer
Multiple choice
What does 'bao nhiêu ... bấy nhiêu' express?
- As much as ... as much as
- Increasingly
- Not ... but rather
Answer: As much as ... as much as
Explanation: The two phrases form a one-to-one quantity correspondence.
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Bạn cần ____.
Show answer
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Bạn cần ____.
Answer: Bạn cần bao nhiêu, tôi đưa bấy nhiêu.
Explanation: 'bao nhiêu' appears in the first clause to ask or indicate an unknown quantity.
English to Vietnamese
Translate "You need as much as you want, I will give that much." into Vietnamese.
Show answer
English to Vietnamese
Translate "You need as much as you want, I will give that much." into Vietnamese.
Answer: Bạn cần bao nhiêu, tôi đưa bấy nhiêu.
Explanation: Use bao nhiêu ... bấy nhiêu in the same structure as the example.
True or false
Is this sentence correct? 'Bạn cần bao nhiêu, tôi đưa bao nhiêu.'
Show answer
True or false
Is this sentence correct? 'Bạn cần bao nhiêu, tôi đưa bao nhiêu.'
Answer: False
Explanation: The second clause should use 'bấy nhiêu' to correspond to 'bao nhiêu'.
Correction
Correct this sentence: 'Bạn muốn bấy nhiêu, tôi mua bao nhiêu.'
Show answer
Correction
Correct this sentence: 'Bạn muốn bấy nhiêu, tôi mua bao nhiêu.'
Answer: Bạn muốn bao nhiêu, tôi mua bấy nhiêu.
Explanation: Unknown quantity first uses 'bao nhiêu', response uses 'bấy nhiêu'.