đấy₃ is used when the speaker points out a contrast between expectation and reality. Speakers use đấy₃ to say: “it’s actually like this, not what you might think.”
The focus is on correcting an assumption or highlighting an unexpected fact.
[1] – Không dễ đấy₃. It’s not easy, actually.
→ The listener may think it is easy; the speaker corrects that idea.
[2] – Quán này nhỏ mà ngon đấy₃. This place is small but it’s actually very good.
→ The speaker highlights something better than expected.
[3] – Anh ấy trẻ vậy thôi chứ giỏi đấy₃. He may look young, but he’s actually very capable.
→ đấy₃ stresses that reality is different from appearance.
đấy₃ vs mà
– đấy₃: emphasizes contrast at the end of the sentence – mà: connects two clauses inside the sentence
[4a] – Không đơn giản đấy₃. It’s not simple, actually.
[4b] – Không đơn giản mà rất phức tạp. It’s not simple but very complicated.
đấy₃ vs lắm
– đấy₃: corrects expectation – lắm: only intensifies
[5a] – Ngon đấy₃. It’s actually good.
[5b] – Ngon lắm. It’s very good.
• đấy₃ appears at the end of a sentence.
• Strongly spoken and conversational.
• Often used when reacting to what someone else said or thought.
• Can sound confident or slightly challenging, depending on tone.
• Adjective + đấy₃
– Khó đấy₃. It’s actually hard.
• Clause + đấy₃
– Tôi không rảnh đấy₃. I’m actually not free.
đấy₃ flips expectations — it tells the listener to rethink what they assumed.