Vietnamese 'chưa bao giờ' Usage (Never / Not Ever)
'chưa bao giờ' means that something has never happened up to now.
Quick explanation
Quick explanation
'chưa bao giờ' means that something has never happened up to now.
English meanings
- never
- not ever
Grammar pattern
Examples
1
Tôi chưa bao giờ học cấu trúc này.
I have never studied this structure.
2
Cô ấy chưa bao giờ đến Việt Nam.
She has never been to Vietnam.
How to use it
'chưa bao giờ' is stronger than 'chưa', emphasizing that something has never happened even once. The phrase 'bao giờ' turns the sentence into expressing 'never had this experience'.
- Indicates zero experience.
- Often corresponds to 'đã bao giờ' in questions.
- Followed by a verb.
Compared with English
Compared with English
In English, 'never' is stronger than 'not yet'. Similarly, Vietnamese uses 'chưa bao giờ' to express that something has never happened even once, unlike just 'chưa' which means 'not yet'.
Common mistakes
Tôi chưa giờ học cấu trúc này.
Tôi chưa bao giờ học cấu trúc này.
The fixed phrase is 'chưa bao giờ'.
Tôi không bao giờ đã học.
Tôi chưa bao giờ học.
To express never having done something up to now, use 'chưa bao giờ'.
Commonly confused grammar
Practice
Multiple choice
Which sentence correctly uses 'chưa bao giờ'?
Show answer
Multiple choice
Which sentence correctly uses 'chưa bao giờ'?
- Tôi chưa bao giờ học cấu trúc này.
- Tôi chưa giờ học cấu trúc này.
- Tôi không bao giờ đã học.
Answer: Tôi chưa bao giờ học cấu trúc này.
Explanation: Indicates zero experience.
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Tôi ____ học cấu trúc này.
Show answer
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Tôi ____ học cấu trúc này.
Answer: Tôi chưa bao giờ học cấu trúc này.
Explanation: Indicates zero experience.
English to Vietnamese
Translate "I have never studied this structure." into Vietnamese.
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English to Vietnamese
Translate "I have never studied this structure." into Vietnamese.
Answer: Tôi chưa bao giờ học cấu trúc này.
Explanation: Use chưa bao giờ in the same structure as the example.
True or false
Is this sentence correct? Tôi chưa giờ học cấu trúc này.
Show answer
True or false
Is this sentence correct? Tôi chưa giờ học cấu trúc này.
Answer: False
Explanation: The fixed phrase is 'chưa bao giờ'.
Correction
Correct this sentence: Tôi chưa giờ học cấu trúc này.
Show answer
Correction
Correct this sentence: Tôi chưa giờ học cấu trúc này.
Answer: Tôi chưa bao giờ học cấu trúc này.
Explanation: The fixed phrase is 'chưa bao giờ'.