Vietnamese 'định' Usage (Intend to / Plan to)
'định' expresses the speaker's intention or plan, focusing on the plan rather than certainty of occurrence.
Quick explanation
Quick explanation
'định' expresses the speaker's intention or plan, focusing on the plan rather than certainty of occurrence.
English meanings
- intend to
- plan to
Grammar pattern
Examples
1
Tôi định học tiếng Việt vào cuối tuần.
I plan to study Vietnamese this weekend.
2
Bạn định đi đâu?
Where do you plan to go?
How to use it
'định' is often used to express 'I intend to' or 'I was planning to'. Both 'định' and 'sẽ' refer to the future, but 'định' is more subjective, indicating intention or plan; 'sẽ' is more like a general future or promise.
- Commonly used for personal plans.
- Can be used in questions to ask about plans.
- Does not imply the plan is definitely arranged or finalized.
Compared with English
Compared with English
In English, 'will' is broad, but Vietnamese distinguishes 'will' as 'sẽ', 'intend to' as 'định', and 'about to' as 'sắp'.
Common mistakes
Trời định mưa.
Trời sắp mưa.
Weather cannot have intentions; use 'sắp' for imminent weather events.
Tôi sẽ đi nếu tôi định có thời gian.
Tôi sẽ đi nếu tôi có thời gian.
Having time is a condition, not an intention; do not use 'định' here.
Commonly confused grammar
Practice
Multiple choice
Which sentence correctly uses 'định'?
Show answer
Multiple choice
Which sentence correctly uses 'định'?
- Tôi định học tiếng Việt vào cuối tuần.
- Trời định mưa.
- Tôi sẽ đi nếu tôi định có thời gian.
Answer: Tôi định học tiếng Việt vào cuối tuần.
Explanation: Commonly used for personal plans.
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Tôi ____ học tiếng Việt vào cuối tuần.
Show answer
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Tôi ____ học tiếng Việt vào cuối tuần.
Answer: Tôi định học tiếng Việt vào cuối tuần.
Explanation: Commonly used for personal plans.
English to Vietnamese
Translate "I plan to study Vietnamese this weekend." into Vietnamese.
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English to Vietnamese
Translate "I plan to study Vietnamese this weekend." into Vietnamese.
Answer: Tôi định học tiếng Việt vào cuối tuần.
Explanation: Use định in the same structure as the example.
True or false
'định' can replace all English time words without considering whether the action is completed or ongoing.
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True or false
'định' can replace all English time words without considering whether the action is completed or ongoing.
Answer: False
Explanation: Vietnamese tense and aspect markers depend on action state, speech time, and context; they cannot be learned by memorizing English equivalents.
Correction
Correct this sentence: Trời định mưa.
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Correction
Correct this sentence: Trời định mưa.
Answer: Trời sắp mưa.
Explanation: Weather cannot have intentions; use 'sắp' for imminent weather events.