Southern Vietnamese
Vietnamese Adjectives for Beginners
Vietnamese adjectives can work like verbs, so you often do not need “is”.
Learner problem
I keep wanting to insert “is” everywhere.
Pattern preview
noun/person + adjective: Món này ngon.
Day 23 adjective focus
Intro: descriptive adjectives P1
Learn practical adjectives for size, speed, amount, height, and length, then use them to compare two objects.
Adjective tip
Nhỏ and bé both mean small. Bé often feels warmer or more familiar.
Size words
To
Big / large
Nhỏ
Small
Lớn
Big / older
Bé
Small / little
Start with big and small words you can use around the house.
Speed and amount
Nhanh
Fast
Chậm
Slow
Nhiều
Many / much
Ít
Few / little
Use these for pace, quantity, and quick reactions.
Comparison frame
Cái này to hơn cái kia
This one is bigger than that one
Put hơn after the adjective to compare two things.
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Day 23 vocabulary focus
Vocabulary: to, nhỏ, lớn, bé, nhanh, chậm, nhiều, ít, cao, thấp, dài, ngắn
Play each adjective, say it once, then save the words you can use to describe objects around you.
Big / large
SizeTo
Useful for size or bulky objects.
Small
SizeNhỏ
Neutral small.
Big / older
Size / ageLớn
Can describe size or age depending on context.
Small / little
Size / warmBé
Often feels warmer or more familiar than nhỏ.
Fast
SpeedNhanh
Use for speed.
Slow
SpeedChậm
Use for speed or pace.
Many / much
AmountNhiều
Use for quantity.
Few / little
AmountÍt
Use for small quantity.
Tall / high
HeightCao
Use for height.
Short / low
HeightThấp
Use for height.
Long
LengthDài
Use for length or duration.
Short
LengthNgắn
Use for length, not height.
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Day 23 speaking skill
Speaking skill: compare two objects
Point to two objects, listen to the model, then say which one is bigger, smaller, faster, higher, or longer.
General objects
Cái này to hơn cái kia
This one is bigger than that one
Use cái này and cái kia when you are pointing.
Small objects
Cái này nhỏ hơn cái kia
This one is smaller than that one
Switch to nhỏ hơn for smaller than.
Speed
Xe này nhanh hơn xe kia
This vehicle is faster than that vehicle
Nhanh hơn compares speed.
Height
Bàn này cao hơn ghế
This table is higher than the chair
Cao hơn compares height.
Length
Sách này dài hơn vở
This book is longer than the notebook
Dài hơn compares length.
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Day 23 grammar focus
Grammar note: A + hơn + B
Vietnamese keeps comparison compact: A + adjective + hơn + B. The adjective does not change form.
A
Cái này
The first thing you are describing.
Adjective + hơn
to hơn
The quality plus hơn means more / -er.
B
cái kia
The second thing you compare against.
Full pattern
Cái này to hơn cái kia
This one is bigger than that one.
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Day 23 speaking exercise
Exercise: compare 5 pairs at home
Use these as models, then compare five real pairs in your room out loud.
1
cup / bottle
Ly này to hơn chai
This cup is bigger than the bottle
Point to both objects before you say the sentence.
2
book / notebook
Sách này dài hơn vở
This book is longer than the notebook
Point to both objects before you say the sentence.
3
table / chair
Bàn này cao hơn ghế
This table is higher than the chair
Point to both objects before you say the sentence.
4
door / window
Cửa này lớn hơn cửa sổ
This door is bigger than the window
Point to both objects before you say the sentence.
5
bag / phone
Túi này nhỏ hơn điện thoại
This bag is smaller than the phone
Point to both objects before you say the sentence.
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Day 24 adjective focus
Intro: descriptive adjectives P2
Continue adjectives with appearance, age, feelings, and health, then use trông to make soft observations.
Look tip
Trông means look or seem. It is very useful for gentle descriptions, like Trông anh khỏe.
Appearance
Đẹp
Beautiful / nice-looking
Xấu
Ugly / bad-looking
Use carefully and kindly when describing people.
Age and feelings
Già
Old
Trẻ
Young
Vui
Happy / fun
Buồn
Sad
Describe age or simple emotional state.
Health state
Khỏe
Well / healthy
Ốm
Sick / thin
Mệt
Tired
Khỏe mạnh
Healthy / strong
Talk about how someone looks or feels.
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Day 24 vocabulary focus
Vocabulary: đẹp, xấu, già, trẻ, vui, buồn, khỏe, ốm, mệt, khỏe mạnh
Play each adjective, say it once, then save the words you want to reuse for people and feelings.
Careful word
Ốm can mean sick or thin depending on context. Avoid using it casually about someone's body.
Beautiful / nice-looking
AppearanceĐẹp
Use for people, clothes, objects, or places.
Ugly / bad-looking
AppearanceXấu
Use carefully; it can sound direct.
Old
AgeGià
Use for age, but be polite when describing people.
Young
AgeTrẻ
Useful for age descriptions.
Happy / fun
FeelingVui
Can describe a person feeling happy or a fun situation.
Sad
FeelingBuồn
Use for feelings.
Well / healthy
HealthKhỏe
Common conversational word for feeling well.
Sick / thin
Health / bodyỐm
In context, ốm can mean sick or thin; avoid using it casually about someone's body.
Tired
EnergyMệt
Use for low energy or tiredness.
Healthy / strong
HealthKhỏe mạnh
Fuller health description than khỏe.
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Day 24 speaking skill
Speaking skill: describe feelings and appearance
Practice short person + adjective sentences before using trông for softer observations.
Feeling
Anh ấy vui
He is happy
Use anh ấy for he / that older male.
Feeling
Chị ấy buồn
She is sad
Use chị ấy for she / that older female.
Health
Ba tôi khỏe
My dad is well
Describe a family member simply.
Energy
Mẹ tôi mệt
My mom is tired
Mệt is a natural tired-state word.
Age
Em tôi trẻ
My younger sibling is young
Trẻ describes young age.
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Day 24 grammar focus
Grammar note: Trông + adjective
Trông lets you say someone looks or seems a certain way. It makes the description feel more like an observation.
Cue
Trông
Look / seem.
Person
anh
The person you are describing.
Adjective
khỏe
The state or quality.
Full pattern
Trông anh khỏe
You look healthy.
Health look
Trông anh khỏe
You look healthy
A friendly observation: you look well.
Feeling look
Trông chị vui
You look happy
Use when someone seems happy.
Tired look
Trông em mệt
You look tired
Softly notice someone looks tired.
Appearance look
Trông cô ấy trẻ
She looks young
Use cô ấy for she / that woman.
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Day 24 speaking exercise
Exercise: describe 3 relatives
Use the models, then choose three relatives and describe each one with three adjectives.
1
father
Ba tôi khỏe và vui
My dad is healthy and happy
Swap in a real person and say three adjectives out loud.
2
mother
Mẹ tôi đẹp và khỏe mạnh
My mom is beautiful and healthy
Swap in a real person and say three adjectives out loud.
3
younger sibling
Em tôi trẻ và vui
My younger sibling is young and happy
Swap in a real person and say three adjectives out loud.
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The short version
Vietnamese adjectives can work like verbs, so you often do not need “is”.
Pattern box
noun/person + adjective: Món này ngon.
English trap
Do not add là before every adjective.
Right vs wrong examples
| Instead of this | Say this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Copy the English structure word by word | Món này ngon | Use the Vietnamese pattern as a ready-made chunk. |
| Add extra grammar words because English needs them | Hôm nay nóng | Vietnamese often stays shorter than English. |
| Study the rule without a real situation | Phòng không sạch | Attach the rule to a cafe, taxi, hotel, market, or work sentence. |
Core examples
| Vietnamese | English | Practice note |
|---|---|---|
| Món này ngon | This dish is good | No is needed before ngon. |
| Hôm nay nóng | Today is hot | Weather plus adjective. |
| Phòng không sạch | The room is not clean | Không before adjective. |
| Cà phê đắng | The coffee is bitter | Noun plus adjective. |
| Bạn dễ thương | You are cute / sweet | Person plus adjective. |
| Cái này đẹp | This is beautiful | Pointing chunk plus adjective. |
| Đường này xa | This road is far | Topic plus adjective. |
| Giá này rẻ | This price is cheap | Price plus adjective. |
| Tôi mệt | I am tired | Person plus state adjective. |
| Bài này khó | This lesson is hard | Topic plus adjective. |
| Trời mát | The weather is cool | Weather adjective. |
| Nước này ngọt | This drink is sweet | Drink plus adjective. |
How to use it in real sentences
Use the examples as sentence patterns, not isolated vocabulary. Say the whole line first, then replace one small part such as the person, time, object, or place.
Substitution drill
| Base sentence | Change this | New sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Món này ngon | change the person or topic | Hôm nay nóng |
| Hôm nay nóng | change the time, place, or object | Phòng không sạch |
| Phòng không sạch | say it as a real request or answer | Cà phê đắng |
Real situation
Use this sentence building grammar when a real conversation forces you to speak quickly. Pick one sentence from the examples, imagine the situation, then change only one detail so the grammar becomes usable instead of abstract.
Southern Vietnamese note
Southern Vietnamese often prefers practical, context-rich examples. Learn the pattern through a line you might actually say.
Practice drill
- Read each Vietnamese sentence aloud.
- Replace one noun or time word.
- Listen to the slow audio, then say the new sentence twice.
- Cover the English and recall the Vietnamese from the situation.
- Save the examples you would actually use this week.
Common mistake
Do not add là before every adjective.
Next step
After this page, open the related practice or continue to the next grammar lesson: comparisons.
Meaning check
Quick practice
Which option is the best way to practice vietnamese adjectives for beginners?
FAQ
How should I practice vietnamese adjectives for beginners?
Learn the core pattern, say at least three full examples aloud, then change one word so the sentence becomes useful in your own life.
Finish this grammar page
Ready to mark complete?
Mark complete only after you have listened, practiced, and saved at least one useful phrase. Then continue straight to the next task.
Week 4 · Day 23 in the 90-day path
Listen to at least 3 phrases
Use normal audio first, then slow audio.
Save at least 1 phrase
Only save phrases you would actually reuse.
Finish the quiz or practice task
Check that you can recall the idea, not only read it.
Mark this page complete
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Practice panel
Make the pattern stick
Practice the examples, then mark this grammar page complete.