Vietnamese particle 'đi' usage (Let's / Go ahead / Quickly)
'đi' placed at the end of an imperative sentence often urges, suggests action, or makes the tone more natural.
Quick explanation
Quick explanation
'đi' placed at the end of an imperative sentence often urges, suggests action, or makes the tone more natural.
English meanings
- Let's
- Go ahead
- Quickly
Grammar pattern
Examples
1
Ăn đi.
Go ahead and eat.
2
Nói đi.
Go ahead and speak.
How to use it
'đi' literally means 'go', but as a sentence-final particle it pushes the action to happen, making commands or suggestions more colloquial.
- Common in imperatives and suggestions.
- Tone can be direct; adding 'nhé' can soften it.
Compared with English
Compared with English
English equivalents include 'let's', 'go ahead', or 'come on'. Vietnamese sentence-final 'đi' softens or urges commands naturally.
Common mistakes
Đi ăn đi.
Ăn đi.
If the focus is 'eat', don't repeat 'đi' at the start and end.
Thầy ăn đi.
Thầy ăn đi ạ.
Add 'ạ' for politeness when speaking to elders or teachers.
Commonly confused grammar
No closely confused forms are listed for this point.
Practice
Multiple choice
Which sentence correctly uses 'đi'?
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Multiple choice
Which sentence correctly uses 'đi'?
- Ăn đi.
- Đi ăn đi.
- Thầy ăn đi.
Answer: Ăn đi.
Explanation: Commonly used in imperatives and suggestions.
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Ăn ____.
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Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Ăn ____.
Answer: Ăn đi.
Explanation: Commonly used in imperatives and suggestions.
English to Vietnamese
Translate "Go ahead and eat." into Vietnamese.
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English to Vietnamese
Translate "Go ahead and eat." into Vietnamese.
Answer: Ăn đi.
Explanation: Use đi in the same structure as the example.
True or false
Is this sentence correct? 'Đi ăn đi.'
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True or false
Is this sentence correct? 'Đi ăn đi.'
Answer: False
Explanation: If the focus is 'eat', don't repeat 'đi' at the start and end.
Correction
Correct the unnatural placement of 'đi' in this sentence.
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Correction
Correct the unnatural placement of 'đi' in this sentence.
Answer: Ăn đi.
Explanation: 'đi' as a sentence-final particle usually goes at the end of the whole sentence or intonation unit.