Từng (Adv)

Situations

S1: Tân is rich but thrifty. He says:

Tôi từng nghèo khổ nên tôi biết giá trị của đồng tiền.
(I used to be poor, so I know the value of money.)

Tân speaks about what he has experienced.

S2: Nam speaks Russian well, but has never lived in Russia.

Tôi chưa từng đi Nga.
(I've never been to Russia.)

Nam uses chưa từng to deny having had that experience.

Definition

Từng, as an adverb placed before a verb or adjective, is used to express an action or state that someone experienced at least once or more in the past.

  • chưa từng, chưa bao giờ, chưa... lần nào: All three indicate that an event has not happened from the past up to the present. However, only chưa từng explicitly emphasizes not having had the experience.
[1a] Tôi chưa từng gặp ông ấy.
[1b] Tôi chưa bao giờ gặp ông ấy.
[1c] Tôi chưa gặp ông ấy lần nào.

Combinations

  • đã từng + V, chưa từng + V are commonly used as phrases. Từng is rarely used alone.
  • không từng, chẳng từng are not used.

NOTES

  • In responses to questions (ending in chưa?, có... không?, etc.), đã từng is used for the affirmative and is often followed by proof or an example.
[1] Anh biết ông Nam chứ? - Tôi đã từng ăn nhậu với ông ấy.
    (You know Mr. Nam, don't you? - I've been out drinking with him before.)
[2] Ông ta đã từng xin tôi giúp đỡ.
    (He has asked me for help in the past.)