Vietnamese 'mới' Usage (Only Just / Just Now / Only After)
'mới' can mean 'only just' or 'just now', often emphasizing a late time, small quantity, or occurrence only after a condition is met.
Quick explanation
Quick explanation
'mới' can mean 'only just' or 'just now', often emphasizing a late time, small quantity, or occurrence only after a condition is met.
English meanings
- Only just
- Just now
- Only after
Grammar pattern
Examples
1
Tôi mới đến.
I just arrived.
2
Học xong bài này tôi mới hiểu.
Only after finishing this lesson did I understand.
How to use it
'mới' is often equated with the English 'just' or 'only just', indicating something happened recently, or only after a certain condition. It is placed before the verb.
- 'mới' is placed before the verb.
- Can indicate something just happened.
- Can indicate something happens only after a condition.
Compared with English
Compared with English
Like English 'I just arrived' or 'Only after finishing this lesson did I understand'. The meaning depends on context.
Common mistakes
Tôi đến mới.
Tôi mới đến.
'mới' should be before the verb 'đến'.
Học xong bài này tôi hiểu mới.
Học xong bài này tôi mới hiểu.
'mới' goes before the verb 'hiểu' to mean 'only then understood'.
Commonly confused grammar
Practice
Multiple choice
Which sentence means 'I just arrived'?
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Multiple choice
Which sentence means 'I just arrived'?
- Tôi mới đến.
- Tôi đến mới.
- Tôi đã mới đến rồi.
Answer: Tôi mới đến.
Explanation: 'mới' placed before the verb indicates recent or only just happened.
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Tôi ____ đến.
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Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Tôi ____ đến.
Answer: Tôi mới đến.
Explanation: 'mới' goes before the verb.
English to Vietnamese
Translate "I just arrived." into Vietnamese.
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English to Vietnamese
Translate "I just arrived." into Vietnamese.
Answer: Tôi mới đến.
Explanation: Use mới in the same structure as the example.
True or false
Is this sentence correct? 'Tôi đến mới.'
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True or false
Is this sentence correct? 'Tôi đến mới.'
Answer: False
Explanation: 'mới' should be placed before the verb 'đến'.
Correction
Correct this sentence: 'Tôi đến mới.'
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Correction
Correct this sentence: 'Tôi đến mới.'
Answer: Tôi mới đến.
Explanation: 'mới' must precede the verb.