ấy₂ is used when the speaker refers to something indirectly or gently, often to avoid saying it too directly. Speakers use ấy₂ to soften the reference, especially for sensitive, awkward, or personal topics.
The focus is on politeness and indirectness, not on identifying a specific object.
[1] – Cái chuyện ấy₂ ấy mà… You know, that kind of thing…
→ The speaker avoids saying the topic directly.
[2] – Hai người đó đang làm chuyện ấy₂. Those two are doing “that”.
→ The meaning is understood from context.
[3] – Anh ấy hơi… ấy₂ một chút. He’s kind of… you know.
→ ấy₂ replaces an adjective the speaker chooses not to say.
ấy₂ vs ấy₁
– ấy₁: refers back to a known item – ấy₂: avoids naming the item directly
[4a] – Việc ấy₁ tôi đã nói rồi. That matter (mentioned before), I already talked about it.
[4b] – Chuyện ấy₂ thì khỏi nói. That kind of thing… no need to say more.
ấy₂ vs này / kia
– này / kia: clear reference – ấy₂: vague, indirect reference
[5a] – Người này rất tốt. This person is very nice.
[5b] – Người ấy₂ thì hơi khó nói. That person… it’s hard to say.
• ấy₂ often appears with pauses or hesitation in speech.
• Very common in spoken Vietnamese.
• Heavily dependent on context and shared understanding.
• Often used with particles like mà, thì, or hesitation sounds.
• chuyện ấy₂, cái ấy₂
– Chuyện ấy₂ tế nhị lắm. That kind of thing is very delicate.
• Pause + ấy₂
– Nó hơi… ấy₂. It’s kind of… you know.
ấy₂ is a polite veil — it lets speakers talk around something instead of naming it directly.