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Grammar point
A1Very commonWord OrderNeutralBeginner

Vietnamese 'này' Usage (This)

'này' is commonly used to indicate 'this' and is placed after the noun it modifies, which is important for learners to master.

Quick explanation

Quick explanation

'này' is commonly used to indicate 'this' and is placed after the noun it modifies, which is important for learners to master.

English meanings

  • this

Grammar pattern

N + này

Examples

1

Quyển sách này hay.

This book is good.

2

Người này là ai?

Who is this person?

How to use it

'này' follows the noun to indicate 'this one' or 'this', referring to something near the speaker or currently discussed.

  • Basic structure: noun + này.
  • Can indicate physical proximity or current topic.
  • Do not place 'này' before the noun.

Compared with English

Compared with English

In English, demonstratives like 'this' come before the noun, e.g., 'this book'. In Vietnamese, the order is reversed: noun + này.

Common mistakes

Này quyển sách hay.

Quyển sách này hay.

Demonstratives come after the noun in Vietnamese.

Tôi thích này áo.

Tôi thích cái áo này.

Noun phrases follow the order: classifier + noun + này.

Commonly confused grammar

No closely confused forms are listed for this point.

Practice

Multiple choice

What is the natural Vietnamese order for 'this book'?

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  • quyển sách này
  • này quyển sách
  • sách này quyển

Answer: quyển sách này

Explanation: 'này' follows the noun phrase.

Fill in the blank

Fill in the blank: Quyển sách ____ hay.

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Answer: Quyển sách này hay.

Explanation: Basic structure is noun + này.

English to Vietnamese

Translate "This book is good." into Vietnamese.

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Answer: Quyển sách này hay.

Explanation: Use này in the same structure as the example.

True or false

Is this sentence correct? 'Này quyển sách hay.'

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Answer: False

Explanation: Demonstratives come after the noun in Vietnamese.

Correction

Correct this sentence: 'Này người là ai?'

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Answer: Người này là ai?

Explanation: 'này' must follow the noun 'người'.

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