Chúng ta lục tìm manh mối.

we

Breakdown of Chúng ta lục tìm manh mối.

• manh mối: the clue
• lục tìm: to search through

Questions & Answers about Chúng ta lục tìm manh mối.

What does chúng ta mean here, and how is it different from chúng tôi?

Chúng ta means we including the person you are speaking to. It is the inclusive we.

So in this sentence, Chúng ta lục tìm manh mối, the speaker means you and I / all of us here are searching for clues.

By contrast, chúng tôi means we but not including the listener. It is the exclusive we.

• Chúng ta đi thôi. = Let’s go. / We’re going. (including you)
• Chúng tôi đi thôi. = We’re leaving. (not including you)

This is a very important distinction in Vietnamese.

Does this sentence mean a plain statement, or can it mean Let’s search for clues?

By itself, it is most naturally a statement:

Chúng ta lục tìm manh mối. = We search / are searching / searched for clues, depending on context.

But in real conversation, chúng ta can sometimes sound a bit like a suggestion in the right context, especially if someone is proposing a plan.

If you want a clearer Let’s ... meaning, Vietnamese often adds something like:

• Chúng ta hãy lục tìm manh mối. = Let’s search for clues.
• Cùng lục tìm manh mối nhé. = Let’s search for clues, okay?

So the basic sentence can work in context, but it is not the strongest or clearest way to say Let’s ....

Why are there two verbs, lục and tìm, in lục tìm?