Đang (Adv)

Situations

S1: Tom came to Vietnam to study Vietnamese for 6 months. He completed 2 months and still has 4 months left to study.

Tom đang học tiếng Việt.
(Tom is studying Vietnamese.)

In this situation, đang indicates an action that began in the past and continues to the moment of speaking.

S2: Last night, Nam went to bed at 10 o'clock. At 12 midnight the phone rang.

Hôm qua, Nam đang ngủ thì điện thoại reo.
(Last night Nam was sleeping when the phone rang.)

In this situation, điện thoại reo (the phone rang) while Nam was sleeping. NOTE: Although the event happened hôm qua (yesterday), we do not say đã đang.

S3: A few days later John goes back to his home country. He is thinking that next week he will be eating dinner with his girlfriend.

Có lẽ giờ này tuần sau mình đang ăn tối với cô ấy.
(Maybe at this time next week I will be eating dinner with her.)

At this time next week the event ăn tối (eating dinner) will be happening, therefore use đang. NOTE: sẽ đang is not used.

Definition

Đang, as an adverb, indicates an event or state that is currently taking place, that is not yet completed at a certain point of time nor during a certain period of time.

  • Đang, đã, sẽ:
    • Đang indicates an event / state in process which is not yet completed at a certain point of time.
    • Đã indicates an event / state that has already begun. Perhaps the event / state is already completed or perhaps it is still in the process and not yet completed at a certain point of time.
    • Sẽ indicates an event / state which will occur in the future or after a referenced / specific point of time. Cf:
[1a] Bây giờ đã là mùa xuân.
     (Now it is springtime.)
     (Spring season has begun, continues and is not yet finished.)
[1b] Bây giờ đang là mùa xuân.
     (Now it is springtime.)
     (Spring season is now occurring.)
[1c] Tháng sau sẽ là mùa xuân.
     (Next month it will be springtime.)

Cf. đã (p. 111), sẽ (p. 343).

  • Đang, còn and vẫn: Cf:
[2a] Nó đang ngủ.
     (He is sleeping.)

(The state of sleep continues at the time of speaking.)

[2b] Nó còn ngủ.
     (He is still sleeping.)

(Not yet woken up, or a state of sleeping not yet completed.)

[2c] Nó vẫn ngủ.
     (He is still sleeping.)

(The state of sleep continues in spite of inconvenient conditions or not normal, e.g., very noisy, too late.) Cf. còn2 (p. 89), vẫn (p. 397).