Vietnamese 'vừa mới' Usage (Just Now / Recently)
'vừa mới' indicates an action that happened very recently, stronger than 'vừa' or 'mới' alone.
Quick explanation
Quick explanation
'vừa mới' indicates an action that happened very recently, stronger than 'vừa' or 'mới' alone.
English meanings
- just now
- just recently
Grammar pattern
Examples
1
Tôi vừa mới về nhà.
I just got home.
2
Cô ấy vừa mới gọi cho tôi.
She just called me.
How to use it
'vừa mới' is common in spoken Vietnamese to emphasize that something just happened. Both 'vừa' and 'mới' can indicate recent occurrence, but combined they stress closeness to the present moment.
- Very common in spoken language.
- Indicates an action completed very close to the present.
- For expressions like 'it's only 10 o'clock', use 'mới' alone, not 'vừa mới'.
Compared with English
Compared with English
English 'just' or 'just now' corresponds to 'vừa mới'. Not all uses of 'just' translate to 'vừa mới' in Vietnamese; context matters.
Common mistakes
Bây giờ vừa mới mười giờ.
Bây giờ mới mười giờ.
For 'it's only 10 o'clock', use 'mới' not 'vừa mới'.
Ngày mai tôi vừa mới đi.
Ngày mai tôi sẽ đi.
Future actions cannot use 'vừa mới'.
Commonly confused grammar
Practice
Multiple choice
Which sentence correctly uses 'vừa mới'?
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Multiple choice
Which sentence correctly uses 'vừa mới'?
- Tôi vừa mới về nhà.
- Bây giờ vừa mới mười giờ.
- Ngày mai tôi vừa mới đi.
Answer: Tôi vừa mới về nhà.
Explanation: Common in spoken language to indicate very recent completion.
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Tôi ____ về nhà.
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Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Tôi ____ về nhà.
Answer: Tôi vừa mới về nhà.
Explanation: Common in spoken language to indicate very recent completion.
English to Vietnamese
Translate "I just got home." into Vietnamese.
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English to Vietnamese
Translate "I just got home." into Vietnamese.
Answer: Tôi vừa mới về nhà.
Explanation: Use vừa mới in the same structure as the example.
True or false
'vừa mới' can replace all English time words without considering whether the action is completed or ongoing.
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True or false
'vừa mới' can replace all English time words without considering whether the action is completed or ongoing.
Answer: False
Explanation: Vietnamese aspect markers depend on action state, speech time, and context; they cannot be replaced mechanically by similar English words.
Correction
Correct this sentence: Bây giờ vừa mới mười giờ.
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Correction
Correct this sentence: Bây giờ vừa mới mười giờ.
Answer: Bây giờ mới mười giờ.
Explanation: For 'it's only 10 o'clock', use 'mới' not 'vừa mới'.