Tôi không muốn nghỉ ở nhà.

I don’t want to rest at home.

Breakdown of Tôi không muốn nghỉ ở nhà.

• tôi: I
• muốn: to want
• nhà: the house
• ở: at
• nghỉ: to rest
• không: not

Questions & Answers about Tôi không muốn nghỉ ở nhà.

Why do we use 'không' in front of 'muốn'?

In Vietnamese, không is the standard way to form a negation. Placing không before muốn (to want) makes it a negative statement: I do not want.

Is 'tôi' always necessary when talking about myself?

Not always. In everyday Vietnamese conversation, speakers often drop personal pronouns if the context is clear. However, you can use tôi to be explicit or polite.

What does 'nghỉ' mean exactly?

Nghỉ usually means to rest or to take a break. Here, it can also imply to take time off or stay away from work.

Why do we have 'ở nhà' instead of just 'nhà'?

Ở indicates a location, similar to at in English. So ở nhà means at home. Without ở, nhà just means house or home on its own, and might not convey the idea of being at home.

Can I say 'Tôi không muốn ở nhà nghỉ'?

Be careful: nhà nghỉ actually means guesthouse or motel in Vietnamese. It would change the meaning significantly. To say you don’t want to rest at home, stick with Tôi không muốn nghỉ ở nhà.