Vietnamese 'cố ý' Usage (deliberately)
'cố ý' indicates someone consciously does something, meaning 'deliberately'.
Quick explanation
Quick explanation
'cố ý' indicates someone consciously does something, meaning 'deliberately'.
English meanings
- deliberately
- intentionally
Grammar pattern
Examples
1
Anh ấy cố ý nói chậm để tôi hiểu.
He deliberately spoke slowly so I could understand.
2
Tôi không cố ý làm bạn buồn.
I did not mean to make you sad.
How to use it
'cố ý' emphasizes a subjective intention behind an action, often used in negative contexts or when assigning responsibility.
- Expresses subjective deliberate action.
- Often used in negative sentences like 'Tôi không cố ý...'.
- Can be combined with 'để' to indicate the actual purpose.
Compared with English
Compared with English
In English, 'deliberately' or 'on purpose' expresses intentional action. Vietnamese 'cố ý' similarly highlights conscious intent, not necessarily followed by a purpose clause.
Common mistakes
Tôi để cố ý nói chậm.
Tôi cố ý nói chậm để bạn hiểu.
'cố ý' comes before the main verb; 'để' introduces the purpose.
Máy tính cố ý bị hỏng.
Máy tính bị hỏng.
Inanimate objects do not have conscious intent.
Commonly confused grammar
Practice
Multiple choice
Which sentence correctly uses 'cố ý'?
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Multiple choice
Which sentence correctly uses 'cố ý'?
- Anh ấy cố ý nói chậm để tôi hiểu.
- Tôi để cố ý nói chậm.
- Máy tính cố ý bị hỏng.
Answer: Anh ấy cố ý nói chậm để tôi hiểu.
Explanation: It expresses subjective deliberate action.
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Anh ấy ____ nói chậm để tôi hiểu.
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Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Anh ấy ____ nói chậm để tôi hiểu.
Answer: Anh ấy cố ý nói chậm để tôi hiểu.
Explanation: It expresses subjective deliberate action.
English to Vietnamese
Translate "He deliberately spoke slowly so I could understand." into Vietnamese.
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English to Vietnamese
Translate "He deliberately spoke slowly so I could understand." into Vietnamese.
Answer: Anh ấy cố ý nói chậm để tôi hiểu.
Explanation: Use cố ý in the same structure as the example.
True or false
True or False: 'Tôi để cố ý nói chậm.'
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True or false
True or False: 'Tôi để cố ý nói chậm.'
Answer: False
Explanation: 'cố ý' comes before the main verb; 'để' introduces the purpose.
Correction
Correct this sentence: 'Tôi để cố ý nói chậm.'
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Correction
Correct this sentence: 'Tôi để cố ý nói chậm.'
Answer: Tôi cố ý nói chậm để bạn hiểu.
Explanation: 'cố ý' comes before the main verb; 'để' introduces the purpose.