In Vietnamese, there are several ways to talk about future events or actions, and three of the most commonly used words are “sắp,” “sẽ,” and “định.” Each of these words has a slightly different nuance and usage, and understanding their distinctions can help learners to express themselves more accurately and effectively in Vietnamese.
Grammar and example
a. “sắp”
Subject + sắp + action/ state
Sắp (Adverb): Used before a verb to indicate near future. Sắp ~ be about to
For example: – Sắp hết một năm rồi. (One year is about to end.) – Trời sắp mưa. (It’s about to rain.) – Anh ấy sắp về nước. (He is about to come back to his country.)
“Sắp” can be combined with “chưa” to form “sắp…chưa?”
For example: A: Sắp đi chưa? (Are you about to go?) B: Rồi, 2 phút nữa. (Yes, in 2 minutes.)
b. “sẽ”
Expresses something that will happen in the future, according to the speaker, or something that will happen in a certain condition. (use as an adverb)
Subject + sẽ+ action/ state
Anh ấy sẽ chuyển nhà mới. | He will move to new house |
Tuần sau, anh sẽ thăm bố mẹ. | Next week, I will visit parent |
Công ty của anh ấy sẽ có nhân viên mới | His company will have new employee |
Chị gái sẽ sinh em bé vào tháng 9 | My sister will give birth in september |
c. "định"
"định" is an auxiliary verb that precedes the main verb to indicate planned actions or is used to describe a prediction
- ‘will or be going to + infinitive’
- ‘plan to or intend to + infinitive’
- ‘English lexical verb in the continuous present’
Subject + định+ action/ state
Anh ấy định đi du lịch Đà Nẵng | He plans to travel Danang |
Họ định đi xem phim tối nay | They are going to the cinema |
Cô ấy định đặt 1 phòng đơn | She is going to book a single room |
Tôi định bỏ việc này | I am going to quit my job |
Words
bỏ việc | quit job |
phòng đơn | single room |
sinh em bé | give birth (have a baby) |
nhân viên | employee |
công ty | company |
thăm | visit |
mới | new |
chuyển nhà | move house |
năm | year |
hết | end, finish |
về nước | return the contry (back the contry) |
chị gái | older sister |
Comentários