How to Use 'thua' in Vietnamese (to lose to/not as good as)
'thua' means 'to lose to' or 'not as good as', often used in contexts of competition, ability, or degree.
Quick explanation
Quick explanation
'thua' means 'to lose to' or 'not as good as', often used in contexts of competition, ability, or degree.
English meanings
- to lose to
- not as good as
Grammar pattern
Examples
1
Đội tôi thua đội bạn.
Our team lost to your team.
2
Về phát âm, tôi còn thua xa anh ấy.
In terms of pronunciation, I'm still far behind him.
How to use it
'thua' originally means 'to lose', but it can also mean 'not as good as' in comparisons. It has a stronger sense of competition or being behind than 'không bằng'.
- Use 'thua' to say you lost to another team in a competition.
- 'thua xa' means 'far behind'.
- For neutral comparisons, use 'không bằng'.
Compared with English
Compared with English
In English, 'not as good as' can be neutral, but 'thua' in Vietnamese often implies losing or being behind, making it stronger than 'không bằng'.
Common mistakes
Tôi thua cao anh ấy.
Tôi không cao bằng anh ấy.
For simply being shorter, use 'không cao bằng', not 'thua cao'.
Đội tôi không bằng đội bạn.
Đội tôi thua đội bạn.
For losing a match, 'thua' is more direct.
Commonly confused grammar
Practice
Multiple choice
Which sentence means 'Our team lost to your team'?
Show answer
Multiple choice
Which sentence means 'Our team lost to your team'?
- Đội tôi thua đội bạn.
- Đội tôi bằng đội bạn.
- Đội tôi giống đội bạn.
Answer: Đội tôi thua đội bạn.
Explanation: Use 'thua' for losing in competition.
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Đội tôi ____ đội bạn.
Show answer
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Đội tôi ____ đội bạn.
Answer: Đội tôi thua đội bạn.
Explanation: Use 'thua' to express losing to another team.
English to Vietnamese
Translate "Our team lost to your team." into Vietnamese.
Show answer
English to Vietnamese
Translate "Our team lost to your team." into Vietnamese.
Answer: Đội tôi thua đội bạn.
Explanation: Use thua in the same structure as the example.
True or false
True or false: Tôi thua cao anh ấy.
Show answer
True or false
True or false: Tôi thua cao anh ấy.
Answer: False
Explanation: For height, use 'không cao bằng', not 'thua cao'.
Correction
Correct this sentence: Tôi thua cao anh ấy.
Show answer
Correction
Correct this sentence: Tôi thua cao anh ấy.
Answer: Tôi không cao bằng anh ấy.
Explanation: For comparing height, 'không cao bằng' is more natural.