Hôm nay, tôi không làm việc vì tôi muốn nghỉ ở nhà.

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Breakdown of Hôm nay, tôi không làm việc vì tôi muốn nghỉ ở nhà.

• muốn: to want
• nhà: the house
• làm việc: to work
• ở: at
• nghỉ: to rest
• hôm nay: today
• không: not
• vì: because

Questions & Answers about Hôm nay, tôi không làm việc vì tôi muốn nghỉ ở nhà.

Why is "Hôm nay" placed at the beginning of the sentence instead of at the end?

In Vietnamese, words or phrases indicating time (like hôm nay, meaning "today") are often put at the beginning of the sentence to set the context right away. This makes it clear that what follows applies specifically to today. However, it’s also acceptable to put hôm nay in other positions (e.g. Tôi không làm việc hôm nay), though placing it in front is very natural and common in everyday speech.

Why do we say "tôi không làm việc" instead of "tôi không đi làm"?

Both tôi không làm việc (literally "I do not work") and tôi không đi làm (literally "I do not go to work") can convey a similar meaning. However, tôi không làm việc focuses on the fact that there is no work activity happening. Tôi không đi làm emphasizes not physically going to your workplace. In casual usage, they are often interchangeable, but in this sentence, tôi không làm việc is slightly more direct in stating no work is being done today.

Why is the word "vì" used here and not "bởi vì" or "tại vì"?

The word vì (meaning "because") is short and direct. The words bởi vì or tại vì are more formal or emphatic, and they can also mean "because." In everyday conversation, Vietnamese speakers often use just vì. All three forms are grammatically correct, but vì is simpler and flows naturally in spoken language.

What does "nghỉ ở nhà" imply compared to just saying "ở nhà"?

Saying nghỉ ở nhà emphasizes resting or taking a break at home. Simply ở nhà means "stay at home" or "be at home," which doesn’t necessarily imply rest. Nghỉ ở nhà clarifies that you’re specifically taking the day off from work to rest at home.