à₂ is used as a soft, polite response to show that the speaker is listening, acknowledging, or gently reacting to what another person says. It does not signal new understanding or realization. Instead, it keeps the conversation flowing.
You can think of à₂ as a light verbal nod: “I’m listening.” / “Okay.” / “I hear you.”
[1] – A: Mai anh không đi làm. I’m not going to work tomorrow.
– B: À, vậy hả. Oh, I see.
→ à₂ shows acknowledgment, not surprise or realization.
[2] – A: Quán đóng cửa lúc 9 giờ. The shop closes at 9.
– B: À, cảm ơn nhé. Okay, thanks.
→ The speaker accepts the information calmly.
[3] – À, để tôi xem đã. Okay, let me check first.
→ à₂ makes the response sound less abrupt and more polite.
[4] – A: Anh ơi! Hey!
– B: À, có chuyện gì vậy? Yes? What’s the matter?
→ à₂ signals readiness to listen.
à₂ vs à₁
– à₂: acknowledgment or response – à₁: realization or sudden understanding
[5a] – À, được rồi. Okay, got it. (acknowledgment)
[5b] – À, ra là vậy. Oh, so that’s how it is. (realization)
à₂ vs ừ
– à₂: softer, more polite – ừ: more direct, casual
[6a] – À, tôi biết rồi. Okay, I know.
[6b] – Ừ, tôi biết rồi. Yeah, I know.
• à₂ is very common in spoken Vietnamese.
• It usually appears at the beginning of a response.
• The tone is neutral, polite, and non-emphatic.
• à₂ does not express surprise, discovery, or strong emotion.
• À, + clause
– À, tôi hiểu. Okay, I understand.
• À + vậy / à + được
– À vậy. Okay then.
– À, được. Okay.
While à₁ marks the moment of understanding, à₂ simply keeps the conversation moving forward smoothly.