Bây giờ là trưa, tôi muốn ăn trưa.

Now it is noon, I want to have lunch.

Breakdown of Bây giờ là trưa, tôi muốn ăn trưa.

• tôi: I
• là: to be
• muốn: to want
• bây giờ: now
• trưa: the noon
• ăn trưa: to eat lunch

Questions & Answers about Bây giờ là trưa, tôi muốn ăn trưa.

What does Bây giờ mean and how is it used?

Bây giờ is an adverbial phrase meaning now or right now. You put it at the beginning of a sentence to situate your statement in the present moment.

Why is là used in Bây giờ là trưa?

In Vietnamese, là is the copula “to be.” It links the subject (here Bây giờ) and the predicate noun (trưa). The structure is equivalent to “It is noon now.” In casual speech you can drop là and say “Bây giờ trưa rồi.”

Why does trưa appear twice?

The first trưa names the time of day (“It is noon”). The second is part of the verb phrase ăn trưa, which literally means “eat noon” and idiomatically means “have lunch.”

What exactly does ăn trưa mean?

ăn trưa = to have lunch. Vietnamese typically forms meal expressions by combining ăn (eat) with the meal time: ăn sáng (breakfast), ăn trưa (lunch), ăn tối (dinner).

Why include tôi? Can it be omitted?

tôi is the first-person pronoun “I.” Vietnamese often drops subjects when they’re clear from context, so tôi is optional here. With tôi, it’s unambiguous: “I want to have lunch.”

What is the typical word order in this sentence?

Vietnamese usually follows Time – Subject – Verb – Object. In Bây giờ là trưa, tôi muốn ăn trưa:
• Bây giờ (time)
• tôi (subject)
• muốn (verb = want)
• ăn trưa (object = have lunch)

Can I say Bây giờ là giờ trưa instead?

Yes. giờ literally means “hour” or “time,” so Bây giờ là giờ trưa is slightly more formal or explicit. Most speakers simply say Bây giờ là trưa or even Trưa rồi.

What’s the role of rồi in Trưa rồi?

rồi indicates that something has already happened—a change of state. Trưa rồi means “It’s already noon.” You can also say “Bây giờ là trưa rồi” to stress that noon has arrived.

How important are the tone marks in these words?

Very important. Vietnamese is tonal:
• bây (hỏi tone) in bây giờ
• giờ (sắc tone)
• trưa (ngang mid-level tone)
Misplacing tones can change meanings or make you hard to understand.

Is muốn + verb the standard way to express desire?

Yes. muốn means “to want.” To say “I want to do X,” you use “tôi muốn” + verb. For example, “Tôi muốn ăn trưa” = “I want to have lunch.” If you’re emphasizing going out, you can add đi: “Tôi muốn đi ăn trưa.”