Lesson 11: Yes–no questions

Creating a yes–no question in Vietnamese is often as simple as adding a question word to the end of a regular statement. You do not need to change the word order or use helper verbs.

Ending with "không"

The most common way to turn a statement into a question is to add không at the end.

Bạn đói không?
"Are you hungry?"

Em hiểu không?
"Do you understand?"

The "Có... không?" Frame

You might also see the pattern có ... không. This makes the question slightly more formal or explicit, but the meaning remains the same.

Bạn có đói không?
"Are you hungry?"

Chị có mệt không?
"Are you tired?"

Checking Completion with "chưa"

When asking if something has happened yet, use chưa at the end instead of không.

Anh ăn cơm chưa?
"Have you eaten yet?"

Trời mưa chưa?
"Has it rained yet?"

Verb-Based Responses

To answer, you usually repeat the verb or the adjective.

• To say "yes," repeat the verb or just say có.
• To say "no," say không or chưa followed by the verb.

– Đi không? (Want to go?)
– Đi. (Yes.)
– Không đi. (No.)

Examples

Phim hay không?
"Is the movie good?"

Bạn có xe không?
"Do you have a car?"

Học xong chưa?
"Finished studying yet?"

Note on flexibility

Vietnamese questions are very melodic. You’ll notice that the tone of your voice stays relatively steady, and the word at the end (không or chưa) does all the work of signaling that an answer is expected. As you listen, treat these words as simple "question markers."