Vietnamese đấy vs đó Usage (That / Exactly That / Tone Indicator)
Both đấy and đó mean "that". They can be used as demonstratives or sentence-final particles, but đấy often adds emphasis, reminder, or a Northern dialect flavor.
Quick explanation
Quick explanation
Both đấy and đó mean "that". They can be used as demonstratives or sentence-final particles, but đấy often adds emphasis, reminder, or a Northern dialect flavor.
English meanings
- That
- Exactly that
- Tone indicator
Grammar pattern
Examples
1
Câu này khó đấy.
This sentence is a bit difficult, you know.
2
Tôi đã nói rồi đó.
I've already said it, you see.
How to use it
When using đấy vs đó, the key is expressing the grammatical function of "that." These are particles that learners often confuse. It's important to distinguish between demonstrative use and sentence-final tone particles. Đấy tends to emphasize or remind, especially in Northern Vietnamese speech, while đó is more general and widely used.
- đấy is common in Northern spoken Vietnamese.
- đó is more general and also used as a demonstrative.
- Both can strengthen the tone or emphasis of a sentence.
Compared with English
Compared with English
English uses "that" for demonstratives and sometimes tone particles like "you know" or "right." Vietnamese distinguishes these nuances with đấy and đó, which carry subtle regional and emphatic differences.
Common mistakes
Câu này khó cái đó.
Câu này khó đấy.
Do not use cái đó as a sentence-final tone particle.
Tôi đã nói rồi là đó.
Tôi đã nói rồi đó.
Do not insert là before the sentence-final particle đó.
Commonly confused grammar
Practice
Multiple choice
Which sentence correctly uses đấy vs đó?
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Multiple choice
Which sentence correctly uses đấy vs đó?
- Câu này khó đấy.
- Câu này khó cái đó.
- Tôi đã nói rồi là đó.
Answer: Câu này khó đấy.
Explanation: đấy is common in Northern spoken Vietnamese.
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Câu này khó ____.
Show answer
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Câu này khó ____.
Answer: Câu này khó đấy.
Explanation: đấy is common in Northern spoken Vietnamese.
English to Vietnamese
Translate "This sentence is a bit difficult, you know." into Vietnamese.
Show answer
English to Vietnamese
Translate "This sentence is a bit difficult, you know." into Vietnamese.
Answer: Câu này khó đấy.
Explanation: Use đấy vs đó in the same structure as the example.
True or false
Is this sentence correct? Câu này khó cái đó.
Show answer
True or false
Is this sentence correct? Câu này khó cái đó.
Answer: False
Explanation: Do not use cái đó as a sentence-final tone particle.
Correction
Correct this sentence: Câu này khó cái đó.
Show answer
Correction
Correct this sentence: Câu này khó cái đó.
Answer: Câu này khó đấy.
Explanation: Do not use cái đó as a sentence-final tone particle.