Tôi có thể giúp bạn bán phở ở cửa hàng khi bạn bận.

I can help you sell phở at the store when you are busy.

Breakdown of Tôi có thể giúp bạn bán phở ở cửa hàng khi bạn bận.

• tôi: I
• là: to be
• bạn: you
• ở: at
• bán: to sell
• cửa hàng: the store
• có thể: can
• giúp: to help
• phở: the dish phở
• khi: when
• bận: busy

Questions & Answers about Tôi có thể giúp bạn bán phở ở cửa hàng khi bạn bận.

Why is the word có thể used here instead of just có?

Có thể is used to express possibility or ability in Vietnamese, similar to "can" or "could" in English. Simply saying có can mean "have" or "there is/are," which wouldn’t fit the intended meaning of being able to do something.

What does giúp bạn bán phở literally mean, and why does Vietnamese not need something like “to” before “sell”?

Giúp bạn bán phở literally translates to "help you sell phở." In Vietnamese grammar, when one verb follows another (like giúp followed by bán), you don’t need a linking word such as “to.” The structure is simply "help + someone + do something".

Why do we use bạn both when offering help and again to show who is busy?

Using bạn twice clarifies that the person receiving help (the “you”) is also the one who is busy. Vietnamese often repeats pronouns for clarity instead of relying on context alone. In casual speech, though, repetition can be reduced if the context is obvious.

What is the function of ở before cửa hàng?

Ở indicates location and can be translated as "at" or "in." It shows that the action of selling phở is taking place at the store. Without ở, the sentence might sound incomplete or less clear about the location.

Could I replace khi with lúc in khi bạn bận, and would that change the sentence meaning?

You can use lúc bạn bận or khi bạn bận almost interchangeably to mean "when you are busy." Both words indicate a point in time. However, khi is slightly more formal, while lúc is more common in everyday conversation.