Mới (Adv 2)

Situations

S1: Nam asked Lan what time it was. Lan didn't want him to leave, so she said:

Mới mười giờ.
(It's only ten o'clock.)

Lan used mới to say it's still early.

S2: The teacher gave 100 questions. After an hour, Nam said:

Tôi làm mới 30 câu.
(I've answered only thirty questions so far.)

Nam used mới to emphasize that he worked slowly and answered only a few questions.

Definition

Mới, as an adverb, is used to indicate that, according to the speaker, up to the present time, the duration of time is short, or the amount, number, or degree of something is small.

  • mới, chỉ, có:
[1a] Tôi làm chỉ 30 câu. (I only answered thirty; I didn't answer the others.)
[1b] Tôi làm có 30 câu. (I answered only thirty; emphasis on small amount.)
[1c] Tôi làm mới 30 câu. (I've only answered thirty; I am still going.)

[2a] Họ chỉ có một con trai. (They only have a son; they probably won't have more.)
[2b] Họ mới có một con trai. (So far, they have only one son; they may have more.)

Chỉ / có expresses a small amount and can be replaced with mới. However, mới often restricts the time up to the moment of speaking.

Combinations

  • mới đầu (= lúc bắt đầu, lúc đầu): At first.
[1] Mới đầu tôi giận anh ta, nhưng sau này tôi đã hiểu.
    (At first I was angry with him, but later I understood.)
  • mới đây (= gần đây, vừa rồi): Recently.
[2] Mới đây tôi có gặp cô ấy.
    (I've recently met her.)
  • mới... (mà) đã...: Expresses that something happened surprisingly early or at a low degree.
[3a] Cô ấy mới 20 tuổi (mà) đã có chồng.
     (As young as twenty, she is already married.)
  • mới đó đã...: Indicates a fact or state happened recently, implying time passed quickly.
[4] Mới đó mà đã hai mươi năm rồi!
    (I can't believe it; it's already been twenty years!)
  • mới... thôi: Puts emphasis on limited time or degree.
[5] Cô ấy mới hai mươi thôi.
    (She's only twenty.)
  • mới thôi:
A: Anh đến lâu chưa? (Have you been here long?)
B: Mới thôi! (I've just arrived!)