Lesson 18: Result verbs and complements

In Vietnamese, actions are often split into two parts: the effort (what you try to do) and the result (what actually happens).

Sensing the Result

Verbs of perception often come in pairs: nhìn (look) vs. thấy (see). To say you actually perceive something, you add thấy.

Tôi nghe thấy tiếng chim hót.
"I hear (perceive) birds singing."

Bạn có nhìn thấy con mèo không?
"Do you see (find with eyes) the cat?"

Success markers with "được"

The word được after a verb shows successful completion or ability to achieve the result.

Tôi mua được vé rồi.
"I (successfully) bought the ticket."

Em tìm được chìa khóa rồi!
"I (successfully) found the keys!"

Negative outcomes with "mất"

Conversely, mất implies that something is lost, gone, or regrettably finished.

Tôi quên mất rồi.
"I forgot (completely)."

Anh ấy đi đâu mất rồi.
"He disappeared somewhere."

Action + Outcome

The structure is consistent: [Verb of Action] + [Result Word].

• Nhìn thấy: Look + See
• Tìm được: Search + Find
• Quên mất: Forget + Completely

Examples

Bạn nghe thấy không?
"Can you hear it?"

Tôi làm được bài này.
"I can do this exercise."

Mất chìa khóa mất rồi.
"(I) lost the keys."

Note on nuance

Using these result verbs clarifies whether you just tried or actually succeeded. Without the result word, the first verb often just implies the attempt or the process.