When learning Vietnamese, one of the essential skills is asking questions about time. The Vietnamese phrases “Bao giờ?” and “Khi nào?” both translate to “When?” in English, while “Lúc nào?” can be translated to “At what time?” or “What time?” These questions are commonly used in daily conversations, and mastering them can help non-native speakers communicate more effectively with Vietnamese speakers. Knowing how to use these question phrases can be particularly useful when making arrangements, scheduling appointments, or planning events. By practicing these phrases, learners can improve their conversational skills and become more confident when communicating with native Vietnamese speakers.
Grammar and Example
1/ Bao giờ
a/ placed at the beginning of a question to ask about time of an action that will happen in the future.
Bao giờ + A?
- Bao giờ anh ấy du lịch Thái Lan? - Tuần sau | -When will he travel to Thailand? - Next week |
- Bao giờ em mua xe máy? - Ngày mai. | - When will you buy motorbike? - Tomorrow. |
- Bao giờ chúng ta thi Tiếng Việt? - Thứ Hai, tuần sau | - When will have Vietnamese Exam? - Monday, next week (= Next monday) |
b/ placed at the end of a question to ask about time of an action that has already happened.
A + bao giờ?
- Anh gọi cho cô ấy bao giờ? - Hôm qua. | - When did you call her? - Yesterday. |
- Họ đến đây bao giờ? - Sáng nay. | - When did they come here? - This morning. |
2/ Khi nào
Can be used in most cases. ( Most commonly used to ask the time of an action happening in the future, or a daily habit). It can be placed at the beginning of the question or at the end of the question. (The first position of the question is more common.)
Khi nào + A?
- Khi nào anh sẽ nghỉ hè? - Tháng 6 | - When will you have summer holidays? - In June |
- Khi nào anh ấy sẽ về thăm quê? - Tuần sau. | - When he will back to visit hometown? - Next week. |
3/ Lúc nào
use to ask the time nearly the poin time of action that already happened or will happen.
Lúc nào +A?
A + lúc nào?
- Lúc nào em nấu cơm? - 10 phút nữa. | - When will you cook? - in 10 minutes. |
- Họ gửi tin nhắn lúc nào? - Khoảng 1 tiếng trước. | - When did they send the message? - About 1 hour ago |
Words
khi nào, lúc nào, bao giờ | when, at what time |
tin nhắn | message |
gửi | send |
nấu cơm | cook |
thăm quê | visit hometown |
nghỉ hè | summer holidays |
hôm qua | yesterday |
tháng | month |
xe máy | motorbike |
thi | do the exam |
ngày mai | tomorrow |
tiếng | hour |
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