Lesson 9: Location with "ở"

To talk about where someone or something is located, Vietnamese uses the word ở. It functions much like the English words "at," "in," or "on," depending on the context.

Positioning with "ở"

When you want to say where something is, the standard pattern is simply: Subject + ở + Location.

Tôi ở nhà.
"I am at home."

Sữa ở trong tủ lạnh.
"The milk is in the fridge."

Action + Place

If there is an action, ở usually follows the verb to show where the action is happening.

Em ăn cơm ở trường.
"I eat rice at school."

Chúng tôi gặp nhau ở quán cà phê.
"We met each other at the café."

Asking for Location

To ask "where?", use the phrase ở đâu. The question word stays in the same position where the answer would be.

Bạn sống ở đâu?
"You live where?" (Where do you live?)

Sách của tôi ở đâu?
"My book is where?" (Where is my book?)

Location vs. Existence

It is important to notice the difference between ở and có. While có focuses on the existence of something ("There is milk"), ở focuses on the location of a specific thing ("The milk is in the fridge").

Trong tủ lạnh có sữa. (Existence)
"In the fridge (there) is milk."

Sữa ở trong tủ lạnh. (Location)
"The milk is in the fridge."

Examples

Anh ấy đang ở công ty.
"He is at the office right now."

Mẹ đang nấu ăn ở trong bếp.
"Mom is cooking in the kitchen."

Chìa khóa ở trên bàn.
"The key is on the table."

Note on flexibility

In very casual speech, especially with common locations, you might sometimes hear people drop ở if the meaning is perfectly clear (e.g., "Tôi nhà" meaning "I'm (at) home"). However, using ở is the standard way to ground an action or a person in a specific place.