Mỗi (Par)

Situations

S: Thu usually rests from one to three o'clock, but she thinks that is not enough. She said:

Buổi trưa tôi ngủ mỗi ba tiếng!
(I sleep only three hours in the afternoon!)

Mỗi, as a particle, is used to express an amount that is small, according to the speaker.

Definition

Mỗi, as a particle, is used to express an amount that is considered small by the speaker.

Related Expressions

• mỗi, chỉ, chỉ có, chỉ... thôi: Mỗi has the same meaning as chỉ, chỉ có, chỉ... thôi in this context. However, mỗi as a particle cannot be combined with a verb directly in the same way chỉ can. Cf:

[1a] Tôi viết mỗi / chỉ ba bức thư.
     (I wrote only three letters.)
[1b] Tôi *mỗi / chỉ viết ba bức thư.
     (I only wrote three letters.)

Cf. chỉ (p. 45), có (p. 77), thôi (p. 369).

• mỗi and những: Mỗi is an antonym of những (particle). Những emphasizes a large amount. Cf. những2 (p. 295).

Combinations

• có mỗi...:

[1] Sáng nay tôi ăn có mỗi hai tô phở.
    (I ate only two bowls of phở for breakfast.) (Implying not much.)

• chỉ (có) mỗi...:

[2] Sáng nay tôi ăn chỉ có mỗi hai tô phở.
    (I ate as few as two bowlfuls of phở for breakfast.) (Small amount.)