Áo sơ mi này làm bằng vải cotton.

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Breakdown of Áo sơ mi này làm bằng vải cotton.

• bằng: by
• làm: to make
• vải cotton: cotton fabric

Questions & Answers about Áo sơ mi này làm bằng vải cotton.

What does áo sơ mi mean exactly?

Áo sơ mi means shirt, especially a button-up shirt / dress shirt / collared shirt.

• áo = shirt, top, garment
• sơ mi = specifically the shirt type

In modern Vietnamese, áo sơ mi is treated as a fixed phrase, so learners usually memorize it as one unit.

Why is này placed after áo sơ mi instead of before it?

In Vietnamese, demonstratives like this and that usually come after the noun.

So:

• áo sơ mi này = this shirt
• literally: shirt this

This is normal Vietnamese word order. English says this shirt, but Vietnamese says shirt this.

Can I also say cái áo sơ mi này?

Yes. Cái áo sơ mi này is also correct.

• cái is a common classifier for objects.
• áo sơ mi này = perfectly fine
• cái áo sơ mi này = also fine, often a bit more explicit or conversational

In many everyday sentences, the classifier is optional when the meaning is already clear.