Liền (Adv 2)

Situations

S1: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I do not work. I have three days off in a row.

Tôi nghỉ làm 3 ngày liền.
(I had three consecutive days off.)

Liền is used in this situation to indicate the continuous period of time of the action nghỉ làm (taking off from work).

S2: The singer T. finished singing a song. Immediately after that, she sang three more songs without taking a break.

Cô ca sĩ T. hát liền bốn bài.
(The singer T. sang four songs in a row.)

Liền expresses a continuation/succession in time without interruption of the action hát (singing).

S3: My house and Nam's are adjacent.

Nhà tôi và nhà Nam (ở) liền nhau.
(My house and Nam's are adjacent.)

In this situation, liền indicates close positions; there is no distance between the two houses.

Definition

Liền, as an adverb placed after a verb, is used to indicate the continuation (without interruption) in time of an action or state. Liền also indicates no distance in space between things.

  • liền and liên tiếp: When liền is used to express continuation or no gap in time, it can be interchanged with liên tiếp.
Cô ca sĩ T. hát liền / liên tiếp bốn bài.
(The singer T. sang four songs in a row.)
  • liền and sát: When liền is used to express no distance in space between things, it can be interchanged with sát.
Nhà tôi và nhà Nam (ở) liền / sát nhau.
(My house and Nam's are adjacent.)

Combinations

  • liền một lúc / liền một mạch / liền một hơi: At a time / at a stretch / in a gulp / in a breath. These combinations emphasize the continuation in time of an action or state. They also imply that, according to the speaker, the amount is significant.
[1] Trong bữa tiệc tối qua, anh ấy hát liền một lúc hai bài.
    (At last night's party, he sang two songs in a row.)
[2] Hôm qua mệt quá, tôi ngủ liền một mạch 8 tiếng.
    (Yesterday, I was so tired that I slept for 8 hours at a stretch.)
[3] Đói quá Nam ăn liền một hơi bốn chén cơm.
    (Nam was so hungry that he ate four bowls of rice in a row.)
  • liền tay: This combination is used when one does something by hand, continuously without interruption or immediately.
[4] Chị ấy làm việc liền tay, không nghỉ được một phút.
    (She has her hands full and has no time to take a break.)
[5] Cưới vợ thì cưới liền tay...
    (If you want to marry a wife, you should do it immediately.)
  • Some verbs are often used in combination with liền: nối (to join), gắn / đi (to be associated with / go with), etc.