Vietnamese Nếu Thì

The short version

Nếu and thì help you make simple conditions and plans.

Pattern box

nếu + condition thì + result: Nếu mưa thì tôi ở nhà.

English trap

Do not translate “would” first; build the condition and result clearly.

Right vs wrong examples

Instead of this	Say this	Why
Copy the English structure word by word	Nếu mưa thì tôi ở nhà	Use the Vietnamese pattern as a ready-made chunk.
Add extra grammar words because English needs them	Nếu rảnh thì đi cà phê	Vietnamese often stays shorter than English.
Study the rule without a real situation	Nếu cay thì tôi không ăn	Attach the rule to a cafe, taxi, hotel, market, or work sentence.

Core examples

Vietnamese	English	Practice note
Nếu mưa thì tôi ở nhà	If it rains, I stay home	Nếu gives condition; thì gives result.
Nếu rảnh thì đi cà phê	If free, let us get coffee	Short casual plan.
Nếu cay thì tôi không ăn	If it is spicy, I will not eat	Food condition.
Nếu được thì tôi muốn đổi phòng	If possible, I want to change rooms	Polite hotel request.
Nếu xa thì tôi đi taxi	If it is far, I take a taxi	Travel condition.
Nếu có wifi thì tôi ở đây	If there is Wi-Fi, I will stay here	Cafe/work condition.
Nếu không hiểu thì hỏi lại	If you do not understand, ask again	Learning habit.
Nếu bạn thích thì mình đi	If you like, we will go	Friendly planning.
Nếu rẻ thì tôi mua	If it is cheap, I will buy it	Market condition.
Nếu sốt thì đi bác sĩ	If you have a fever, go to the doctor	Health condition.
Nếu có thể thì gọi tôi	If possible, call me	Polite request.
Nếu không được thì để lần sau	If it does not work, let us do next time	Soft scheduling.

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
Nếu mưa thì tôi ở nhà	change the person or topic	Nếu rảnh thì đi cà phê
Nếu rảnh thì đi cà phê	change the time, place, or object	Nếu cay thì tôi không ăn
Nếu cay thì tôi không ăn	say it as a real request or answer	Nếu được thì tôi muốn đổi phòng

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

1. Read each Vietnamese sentence aloud.
2. Replace one noun or time word.
3. Listen to the slow audio, then say the new sentence twice.
4. Cover the English and recall the Vietnamese from the situation.
5. Save the examples you would actually use this week.

Common mistake

Do not translate “would” first; build the condition and result clearly.

Next step

After this page, open the related practice or continue to the next grammar lesson: before-after-when.