Tớ tự phân loại rác sinh hoạt.

Tớ is an informal way to say I. It is commonly used with friends, classmates, siblings, or people of similar age when the tone is casual and friendly.

By contrast:

• tôi = more neutral, formal, or polite
• mình = also common in casual speech, depending on region and relationship
• em = used when the speaker is younger than the listener

So Tớ tự phân loại rác sinh hoạt sounds natural in a casual, everyday context, but not in a formal report or when speaking to a superior.

Tự adds the idea of oneself, personally, or by oneself.

In this sentence, it emphasizes that the speaker does the sorting personally rather than relying on someone else.

Compare:

• Tớ phân loại rác sinh hoạt. = I sort household waste.
• Tớ tự phân loại rác sinh hoạt. = I sort household waste myself.

So tự is not always required for the basic meaning, but it adds emphasis.

Phân loại is a verb meaning to classify, to sort, or to categorize.

It is a common Vietnamese verb compound:

• phân = divide
• loại = type/category

Together, phân loại means sorting things into categories.

In this sentence, it directly takes the object:

• phân loại rác sinh hoạt = sort household waste

This is normal Vietnamese word order: verb + object.

Vietnamese usually follows Subject + Verb + Object.

So the structure is:

• Tớ = subject
• tự phân loại = verb phrase
• rác sinh hoạt = object

English also uses SVO order, so this part is fairly straightforward for English speakers.

Inside the object:

• rác = trash/waste
• sinh hoạt = daily living / household activity

So rác sinh hoạt literally means something like daily-life waste, which is naturally understood as household waste or domestic waste.

Rác sinh hoạt refers to household waste, domestic waste, or everyday trash from normal living activities.

It contrasts with other types of waste, such as:

• rác công nghiệp = industrial waste
• rác y tế = medical waste

So this phrase is more specific than just rác. It tells you what kind of trash is being sorted.

Vietnamese does not use articles like English a/an/the, and nouns do not change form for plural in the same way English nouns do.

So:

• rác sinh hoạt can mean household waste, the household waste, or household wastes, depending on context.

Vietnamese relies heavily on context rather than articles and noun endings.

If needed, quantity can be added with extra words, for example:

• một ít rác sinh hoạt = some household waste
• các loại rác sinh hoạt = types of household waste

But in a general statement like this, no article is needed.

Yes. Tớ phân loại rác sinh hoạt is completely grammatical.

The difference is nuance:

• with tự: emphasizes personal action, independence, or responsibility
• without tự: simply states the action

So if you want to say I sort the trash myself, keep tự.
If you just want to say I sort the trash, you can omit it.

Yes. The sentence pattern stays the same, but the pronoun changes depending on who you are speaking to.

Examples:

• Tôi tự phân loại rác sinh hoạt. = more neutral/formal
• Mình tự phân loại rác sinh hoạt. = casual, common in some contexts
• Em tự phân loại rác sinh hoạt. = used by a younger speaker addressing an older person
• Anh tự phân loại rác sinh hoạt. = used by a male speaker in certain relationship contexts

Vietnamese pronouns depend a lot on age, relationship, and social setting, so choosing the right one matters.

Vietnamese often does not mark tense unless it is necessary. A sentence like this can be understood from context.

If you want to make the time clearer, you can add markers such as:

• Tớ đã tự phân loại rác sinh hoạt. = I sorted / have sorted household waste.
• Tớ đang tự phân loại rác sinh hoạt. = I am sorting household waste.
• Tớ sẽ tự phân loại rác sinh hoạt. = I will sort household waste.

Time words also work:

• Hôm qua tớ tự phân loại rác sinh hoạt. = Yesterday I sorted household waste.
• Mỗi ngày tớ tự phân loại rác sinh hoạt. = Every day I sort household waste.

Usually, tự comes before the main verb:

• Tớ tự phân loại rác sinh hoạt.

That is the most natural placement here.

You may also hear longer emphatic forms such as:

• Tớ tự mình phân loại rác sinh hoạt.

This is stronger and means something like I myself sort the household waste.

But for normal speech, tự before the verb is the standard choice.

Yes, it is natural and correct.

It sounds like a simple statement about a personal habit or responsible behavior. It would fit contexts such as:

• talking about environmental habits
• describing what you do at home
• answering a question about recycling or waste sorting

If you want to sound even more specific about separating trash into categories, Vietnamese speakers might also say things like:

• Tớ tự phân loại rác tại nhà. = I sort trash myself at home.
• Tớ tự phân loại rác để tái chế. = I sort trash myself for recycling.

But your original sentence is already perfectly normal.