Questions & Answers about Lan thường ăn sáng với cà phê.
What does the word thường mean in this sentence?
Here, thường means “often” or “usually.” It indicates that Lan’s habit is to have breakfast with coffee regularly.
Why do we say ăn sáng for “have breakfast” instead of something that literally means “have breakfast”?
In Vietnamese, ăn means “to eat,” and sáng can mean “morning.” When combined as ăn sáng, it refers to “having breakfast.” It’s a standard way of saying it even though it might look like it’s literally “eat morning.”
How is the phrase với cà phê used here?
Với cà phê literally means “with coffee.” It indicates that coffee is part of Lan’s breakfast. You can think of it as “together with coffee” in everyday English usage.
Do I need a subject pronoun before Lan?
No. In Vietnamese, proper names can serve as the subject by themselves without needing a pronoun like “she.” It’s common to just place the person’s name at the start of the sentence.
Could I replace thường with other adverbs like luôn or hay?
Yes, context allows for slight changes. Luôn (always) would mean Lan never skips having coffee at breakfast, while hay (often/frequently) has a similar meaning to thường, although thường is more formal.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Vietnamese grammar?”
Vietnamese grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning VietnameseMaster Vietnamese — from Lan thường ăn sáng với cà phê to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions