Tôi đang làm việc.

I am working right now.

Breakdown of Tôi đang làm việc.

• tôi: I
• đang: right now
• làm việc: to work

Questions & Answers about Tôi đang làm việc.

Is it necessary to include "Tôi" at the beginning of the sentence?

In Vietnamese, personal pronouns can be omitted when the context is clear. However, including Tôi can help clarify that you are talking about yourself. Omitting it would still make sense (simply Đang làm việc), but might sound less formal or might rely on context for clarity.

What does "đang" mean and why is it used here?

The word đang indicates that the action is happening right now. It’s akin to the present continuous tense in English. So Tôi đang làm việc literally conveys I am in the process of working.

How do I pronounce "đang" properly?

• đ is pronounced like the English "d" sound.
• a is similar to the "a" in "father," but slightly shorter.
• ng is like the final sound in "sing."
  When combined, đang has the rising tone (dấu sắc absent here, so it’s a level tone in the Northern dialect, but you might hear a slightly different tone depending on the region).

Is "làm việc" always translated as "to work"?

Generally, làm việc means to work in the sense of doing a job or task. It’s also used for to work on something (like a project). In other contexts (e.g., mechanical "working"), a different verb might be used, but for doing a job or task, làm việc is correct.

Can I use "đang" with other verbs in a similar way?

Yes! You can place đang before almost any verb to convey that the action is currently in progress. For example:

• Tôi đang ăn (I am eating)
• Tôi đang học (I am studying)
• Tôi đang xem phim (I am watching a movie)