Vết ẩm đang lan rộng.

The damp patch is spreading.

Breakdown of Vết ẩm đang lan rộng.

• đang: currently
• vết ẩm: the damp patch
• lan rộng: to spread

Questions & Answers about Vết ẩm đang lan rộng.

What does vết ẩm mean literally?

Literally, vết means a mark, trace, stain, spot, and ẩm means damp, moist.

So vết ẩm is literally something like a damp mark or a damp patch. In natural English, it often refers to a damp patch on a wall or ceiling.

Why is ẩm after vết, not before it?

In Vietnamese, describing words usually come after the noun.

So:

• vết = mark / stain
• ẩm = damp

That gives vết ẩm = damp mark

This is a very common Vietnamese pattern:

• nhà lớn = big house
• áo đỏ = red shirt
• vết ẩm = damp mark

What does đang do in this sentence?

Đang marks an action as in progress. It is often similar to English be + -ing.

So:

• lan rộng = spread / widen
• đang lan rộng = is spreading

In this sentence, đang tells you that the damp patch is currently getting bigger.

Can I leave out đang?