Vậy (Par 1)

Situations

S1: Nam meets Bình and asks:

Anh đi đâu vậy?
(Where are you going?)

Vậy asks about what is occurring at the moment of speaking.

S2: Tan's wife asks him about his afternoon when he comes home.

Lúc em gọi điện đến cơ quan, anh đi đâu vậy?
(Where were you when I telephoned your office?)

Vậy is used to ask more clearly about an event that has already occurred. It is often used after indefinite pronouns like ai, gì, sao, nào, đâu, etc.

S3: Lan asks a salesperson about price.

Đôi giày này bao nhiêu tiền vậy, chị?
(How much is this pair of shoes, ma'am?)

Vậy is used to ask about something after observing, comparing, or discussing it, similar to a conclusion.

Definition

Vậy, as a sentence-final particle, is used in questions to ask about a fact occurring now (S1), a known past event (S2), or to ask supplementary information about something observed or mentioned (S3).

  • vậy and thế, đấy / đó: In many cases, vậy can be replaced with thế, đấy, or đó.
Anh Nam đang đọc gì vậy / thế / đấy?
(What are you reading, Nam?)

Cf. thế2 (p. 274), đấy2 (p. 100).