Lesson 16: Completed vs ongoing actions

Vietnamese sharply distinguishes between an action that is currently happening and one that has reached a result.

Focusing on the Result with "xong"

The word xong indicates "finished" or "done." Placing xong after a verb emphasizes that the task is completed.

Tôi ăn xong rồi.
"I (am) finished eating already."

Đọc xong cuốn sách này.
"Finished reading this book."

Continuous States with "vẫn"

To say that something is still happening and hasn't ended, use vẫn (or vẫn đang) before the verb.

Trời vẫn đang mưa.
"It is still raining."

Họ vẫn làm việc.
"They still work."

Checking Status

A very common daily phrase is Xong chưa? (Done yet?).

Học xong chưa?
"Finished studying yet?"

Process vs. Climax

Notice the logic:

Đang (Process): In the middle of doing it.
Xong (Climax): The moment it is done.

Em đang viết thư. (Process)
"I am writing a letter."

Viết xong chưa? (Result check)
"Finished writing yet?"

Examples

Anh ấy vẫn chờ.
"He is still waiting."

Chưa làm xong.
"Not finished yet."

Xong implies a specific task or action is effectively over. It is very satisfying to use. Contrast this with rồi (already), which just marks a change. You often hear them together: Xong rồi (It's done already!).