vậy₁ is used when the speaker draws a logical conclusion or next step based on information already known. It signals that the speaker has processed what was said and is now responding with a result, decision, or summary.
With vậy₁, the speaker is saying: “Given that, this follows.”
[1] – Anh bận hôm nay à? Vậy₁ mai gặp nhé. You’re busy today? Then let’s meet tomorrow.
→ The second sentence follows logically from the first.
[2] – Trời mưa rồi. Vậy₁ mình ở nhà thôi. It’s raining. So let’s stay home.
→ vậy₁ connects the situation to a decision.
[3] – Em không ăn cay được. Vậy₁ anh gọi món khác nhé. You can’t eat spicy food. Then I’ll order something else.
→ The speaker adjusts their action based on the information.
[4] – Anh chưa làm xong à? Vậy₁ khi nào xong? You’re not done yet? So when will you be done?
→ vậy₁ shows that the question comes from the previous fact.
vậy₁ vs thì
– vậy₁: conclusion or next step – thì: topic framing or contrast
[5a] – Trời mưa. Vậy₁ ở nhà. It’s raining. So stay home.
[5b] – Trời mưa thì ở nhà. If it rains, then stay home.
vậy₁ vs nên
– vậy₁: spoken conclusion – nên: cause–result inside one sentence
[6a] – Trời mưa. Vậy₁ mình không đi. It’s raining. So we won’t go.
[6b] – Trời mưa nên mình không đi. It’s raining, so we won’t go.
vậy₁ vs thế thì
– vậy₁: shorter, more casual – thế thì: slightly stronger, more explicit
[7a] – Không có vé. Vậy₁ thôi. No tickets. So that’s it.
[7b] – Không có vé, thế thì thôi. No tickets, then forget it.
• vậy₁ usually appears at the beginning of a sentence.
• It is extremely common in spoken Vietnamese.
• vậy₁ depends on previous context and cannot start a conversation by itself.
• Tone is neutral and practical; it sounds calm and reasonable.
• In formal writing, clearer connectors may replace vậy₁.
• Vậy₁ + decision
– Vậy₁ mình đi sớm nhé. So let’s go early.
• Vậy₁ + question
– Vậy₁ anh muốn làm gì? So what do you want to do?
• Often paired with softeners:
– vậy₁ … nhé – vậy₁ … thôi
vậy₁ is the bridge from understanding to action.