Language/Vietnamese/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have

Vietnamese Grammar - How to Use "Have"

Hi Vietnamese learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will be discussing the usage of the word "have" in Vietnamese. We use "have" to express possession, experience, and to form perfect tenses. This is an important concept in Vietnamese grammar, so let's get started!

Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson: 0 to A1 Course & Present Tense Verbs.

Using "Have" to Express Possession

In English, we use the verb "have" to show that we possess something. Similarly, Vietnamese also uses the verb "có" to express possession.

Vietnamese	Pronunciation	English
Tôi có một con chó.	t-oy có một con chó.	I have a dog.
Anh ta có một căn nhà ở Hà Nội.	a-nh ta có một căn nhà ở Hà Nội.	He has a house in Hanoi.
Em có một chiếc xe đạp.	em có một chiếc xe đạp.	She has a bicycle.

Notice how we use "có" after the subject to show possession.

Using "Have" to Express Experience

In Vietnamese, we use "có" in combination with verbs to show that we have had a particular experience. Here are a few examples:

Vietnamese	Pronunciation	English
Tôi có đọc cuốn sách này.	t-oy có đọc cuốn sách này.	I have read this book.
Bạn có ăn bánh mì sáng nay không?	bạn có ăn bánh mì sáng nay không?	Have you eaten a bread this morning?
Chúng tôi có đi du lịch mỗi năm.	chúng tôi có đi du lịch mỗi năm.	We travel every year.

Notice how "có" is combined with another verb to show that someone has experienced the action in the past. This is similar to the use of the word "have" in English when we say "I have read this book." The word "have" indicates that the experience of reading the book happened in the past.

Using "Have" to Form Perfect Tenses

In Vietnamese, perfect tenses are formed in the same way as in English, using the auxiliary verb "có" (to have) followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here are a few examples:

Vietnamese	Pronunciation	English
Tôi đã ăn sáng rồi.	t-oy đã ăn sáng rồi.	I have eaten breakfast.
Bạn đã làm việc đó chưa?	bạn đã làm việc đó chưa?	Have you done the work?
Anh ta đã học tiếng Anh được một năm.	a-nh ta đã học tiếng Anh được một năm.	He has been learning English for a year.

Notice how we use "đã" before the verb to indicate that the action was completed in the past. Then we use "có" before the verb to show that it has been completed and to form the perfect tense.

Using "Have" in Vietnamese Dialogue

To help you see the word "have" in context, let's create a dialogue:

• Person 1: Bạn có thú nuôi không? (Do you have any pets?)
• Person 2: Có, tôi có một con chó. (Yes, I have a dog.)

• Person 1: Bạn có thực hiện kế hoạch chưa? (Have you carried out the plan?)
• Person 2: Tôi đã có, nhưng chưa hoàn thành. (I have, but not completed.)

• Person 1: Anh ta có tiền lắm không? (Does he have a lot of money?)
• Person 2: Có, anh ta có tiền lẻ. (Yes, he has some money.)

Conclusion

That's all for this lesson on using "have" in Vietnamese. Remember, we use "có" to show possession, experience and to form perfect tenses. To improve your Vietnamese Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions! You can find more grammar lessons on our Grammar page. Thanks for reading!

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➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

With this lesson finished, you may want to explore these additional pages: Ask Questions & Personal pronouns.

Other Lessons

• Negation
• Articles
• Tenses
• Future Tense
• Plurals
• Nouns
• Ask Questions
• Gender
• Give your Opinion

Sources

• Vietnamese basic grammar: sentence structure – YourVietnamese
• Vietnamese grammar - Wikipedia
• Vietnamese nouns – YourVietnamese