Tạp dề sạch.

Because Vietnamese adjectives usually come after the noun.

So the structure is:

• tạp dề = apron
• sạch = clean

That gives tạp dề sạch, literally apron clean.

This is normal Vietnamese word order. In English, we usually say clean apron, but Vietnamese typically puts the describing word after the noun.

Vietnamese often leaves out to be when a noun is followed by an adjective.

So:

• Tạp dề sạch. = The apron is clean.

You do not normally say Tạp dề là sạch. Using là here would sound unnatural.

A simple pattern to remember is:

• Noun + adjective = something is adjective

Examples:

• Áo đẹp. = The shirt is beautiful.
• Cơm nóng. = The rice is hot.
• Tạp dề sạch. = The apron is clean.

It can be either, depending on context.

1. As a sentence, it means:

   • The apron is clean.

2. As a noun phrase, it can mean:

   • clean apron
   • a clean apron
   • the clean apron

In isolation, with a period, learners will usually read it as a complete sentence: The apron is clean.

Context tells you which meaning is intended.

No. Vietnamese does not use articles the way English does.

So tạp dề sạch can mean different things depending on context:

• an apron is clean
• the apron is clean
• clean apron

If you want to be more specific, Vietnamese may use words like một or a classifier:

• một cái tạp dề sạch = a clean apron
• cái tạp dề sạch = the clean apron / the apron is clean

But in short, basic examples, Vietnamese often leaves those words out.

Not always.

Vietnamese often uses classifiers, but they are frequently omitted when the meaning is already clear, especially in short example sentences.

For tạp dề, you might hear:

• cái tạp dề sạch

Here, cái is a common classifier for objects.

But Tạp dề sạch is still perfectly understandable, especially in a simple learning example.

So:

• Tạp dề sạch. = natural as a simple statement
• Cái tạp dề sạch. = also natural, often a bit more specific or conversational

Add không before the adjective:

• Tạp dề không sạch. = The apron is not clean.

This is the basic pattern:

• Noun + không + adjective

Examples:

• Áo không đẹp. = The shirt is not beautiful.
• Nước không lạnh. = The water is not cold.
• Tạp dề không sạch. = The apron is not clean.

If you want to say dirty, you can also use:

• Tạp dề bẩn. = The apron is dirty.

A very common way is to add không at the end:

• Tạp dề sạch không? = Is the apron clean?

You can also say:

• Tạp dề có sạch không?

Both are natural. For beginners, Adjective + không? is an easy pattern to remember.

So:

• sạch = clean
• sạch không? = clean or not? / is it clean?

You can use rất before the adjective:

• Tạp dề rất sạch. = The apron is very clean.

You may also hear lắm after the adjective:

• Tạp dề sạch lắm. = The apron is very clean.

A useful rule:

• rất goes before the adjective
• lắm usually goes after the adjective

So both of these work:

• rất sạch
• sạch lắm

The three words have tones:

• tạp — heavy tone
• dề — falling tone
• sạch — heavy tone

A rough guide:

• tạp sounds something like tap with a short, heavy, cut-off ending
• dề sounds a bit like yeh or zeh depending on dialect, with a falling tone
• sạch sounds somewhat like sach with a short, stopped ending

One important note:

• In northern Vietnamese, d is usually pronounced like z
• In southern Vietnamese, d is usually pronounced more like y

So dề may sound different depending on the speaker.

Not always. Sạch can also have broader meanings like clean, pure, or free from something, depending on context.

For example:

• nhà sạch = clean house
• nước sạch = clean water
• sạch nợ = free of debt / debt cleared

But in Tạp dề sạch, the meaning is the straightforward physical one: the apron is clean.

Not in normal Vietnamese for this meaning.

The usual order is:

• noun + adjective
• tạp dề sạch

If you say Sạch tạp dề, it would not sound like the normal way to say clean apron or the apron is clean. Learners should stick with tạp dề sạch.