Vietnamese 'vì ... nên' Usage (Because ... therefore)
'vì ... nên' is commonly used to express cause and effect, an important structure for learners.
Quick explanation
Quick explanation
'vì ... nên' is commonly used to express cause and effect, an important structure for learners.
English meanings
- Because ... therefore
Grammar pattern
Examples
1
Vì trời mưa nên tôi ở nhà.
Because it rained, I stayed home.
2
Vì bận nên cô ấy không đến.
Because she was busy, she didn't come.
How to use it
'vì ... nên' expresses cause and effect: the first clause states the reason, the second clause states the result. In speech, sometimes only 'vì' or 'nên' is used, but the full form is clearer for beginners.
- 'vì' introduces the reason, 'nên' introduces the result.
- The full 'vì ... nên' is stable for formal or clear explanations.
- For negative causes, advanced learners may use 'tại ... nên'.
Compared with English
Compared with English
Similar to English 'because ... therefore', Vietnamese uses 'vì' for cause and 'nên' for effect, often together to show clear causality.
Common mistakes
Nên trời mưa vì tôi ở nhà.
Vì trời mưa nên tôi ở nhà.
'vì' marks the cause, 'nên' marks the effect; they cannot be swapped.
Vì tôi bận nên không.
Vì tôi bận nên tôi không đi.
'nên' must be followed by a complete result clause, not just 'không'.
Commonly confused grammar
Practice
Multiple choice
Which part of 'vì ... nên' indicates the reason?
Show answer
Multiple choice
Which part of 'vì ... nên' indicates the reason?
- The part after 'vì'
- The part after 'nên'
- The last word of the sentence
Answer: The part after 'vì'
Explanation: 'vì' introduces the cause, 'nên' introduces the effect.
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: ____ tôi ở nhà.
Show answer
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: ____ tôi ở nhà.
Answer: Vì trời mưa nên tôi ở nhà.
Explanation: 'vì' introduces the reason, 'nên' introduces the result.
English to Vietnamese
Translate "Because it rained, I stayed home." into Vietnamese.
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English to Vietnamese
Translate "Because it rained, I stayed home." into Vietnamese.
Answer: Vì trời mưa nên tôi ở nhà.
Explanation: Use vì ... nên in the same structure as the example.
True or false
Is this sentence correct? 'Nên trời mưa vì tôi ở nhà.'
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True or false
Is this sentence correct? 'Nên trời mưa vì tôi ở nhà.'
Answer: False
Explanation: 'vì' marks cause, 'nên' marks effect; they cannot be reversed.
Correction
Correct this sentence: 'Nên tôi mệt vì tôi ngủ sớm.'
Show answer
Correction
Correct this sentence: 'Nên tôi mệt vì tôi ngủ sớm.'
Answer: Vì tôi mệt nên tôi ngủ sớm.
Explanation: Cause goes after 'vì', result after 'nên'.