Vietnamese 'vừa ... vừa' Usage (Both... and... / At the same time)
'vừa ... vừa' is commonly used to express 'both... and...' or 'at the same time...', an essential structure for learners.
Quick explanation
Quick explanation
'vừa ... vừa' is commonly used to express 'both... and...' or 'at the same time...', an essential structure for learners.
English meanings
- Both... and...
- At the same time...
Grammar pattern
Examples
1
Tôi vừa ăn sáng vừa nghe nhạc.
I am eating breakfast and listening to music at the same time.
2
Cô ấy vừa học vừa làm.
She studies and works at the same time.
How to use it
'vừa ... vừa' means 'both... and...' or 'at the same time...', used to describe one subject performing two actions or having two characteristics simultaneously.
- When one subject does two actions, use 'S + vừa + V1 + vừa + V2'.
- To describe two characteristics, use 'vừa + adjective + vừa + adjective'.
- For simple 'also' meaning, use 'cũng'.
Compared with English
Compared with English
English can use 'and' repeatedly, but Vietnamese uses 'vừa ... vừa' to express 'both... and...' more naturally than just using 'cũng'.
Common mistakes
Tôi vừa ăn sáng và nghe nhạc.
Tôi vừa ăn sáng vừa nghe nhạc.
For 'both... and...', repeat 'vừa' instead of using 'và'.
Tôi cũng học cũng làm.
Tôi vừa học vừa làm.
'vừa ... vừa' is more natural for two simultaneous actions.
Commonly confused grammar
Practice
Multiple choice
What does 'vừa ... vừa' most commonly express?
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Multiple choice
What does 'vừa ... vừa' most commonly express?
- Both... and...
- Besides...
- Because... so
Answer: Both... and...
Explanation: Two 'vừa' mark two simultaneous actions or characteristics.
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Tôi ____ nghe nhạc.
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Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank: Tôi ____ nghe nhạc.
Answer: Tôi vừa ăn sáng vừa nghe nhạc.
Explanation: One subject doing two actions uses 'S + vừa + V1 + vừa + V2'.
English to Vietnamese
Translate "I am eating breakfast and listening to music at the same time." into Vietnamese.
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English to Vietnamese
Translate "I am eating breakfast and listening to music at the same time." into Vietnamese.
Answer: Tôi vừa ăn sáng vừa nghe nhạc.
Explanation: Use vừa ... vừa in the same structure as the example.
True or false
Is this sentence correct? Tôi vừa ăn sáng và nghe nhạc.
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True or false
Is this sentence correct? Tôi vừa ăn sáng và nghe nhạc.
Answer: False
Explanation: Repeat 'vừa' for 'both... and...', do not use 'và'.
Correction
Correct this sentence: Cô ấy vừa thông minh và chăm chỉ.
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Correction
Correct this sentence: Cô ấy vừa thông minh và chăm chỉ.
Answer: Cô ấy vừa thông minh vừa chăm chỉ.
Explanation: Repeat 'vừa' for two characteristics.