Learn Hardcore Vietnamese: Cha mẹ tôi muốn gặp bạn và nấu ăn cùng bạn vào tối nay. - My parents want to meet you and cook with you tonight.

Cha mẹ tôi literally means my parents. In Vietnamese, the noun comes first and the possessor pronoun follows it. So Cha mẹ = “parents” and tôi = “I” (used here as “my”), giving Cha mẹ tôi = “parents of me.”

What does muốn do in this sentence?

muốn means “to want.” It acts like a modal verb. When you see muốn + [verb phrase], it translates as “want to [do something].” Here, muốn gặp bạn và nấu ăn cùng bạn = “want to meet you and cook with you.”

How does the conjunction và function between gặp bạn and nấu ăn cùng bạn?

và = “and.” It simply links the two actions: gặp bạn (meet you) và nấu ăn cùng bạn (cook with you). It works just like the English “and” for verbs or verb phrases.

Why do we say nấu ăn rather than just nấu?

While nấu means “to cook,” it often needs a direct object (what you’re cooking). nấu ăn is a common verb–noun compound meaning “to cook (in general),” focusing on the activity itself (“cook food”). Think of it as one fixed verb meaning “to cook.”

What is the role of cùng in nấu ăn cùng bạn, and how is it different from với?

cùng means “together with.” It emphasizes joint action. với also translates as “with,” but is more neutral. Example:

nấu ăn cùng bạn = cook together with you (friendly, collaborative)
nấu ăn với bạn = cook with you (more general)
In everyday speech, they’re often interchangeable, though cùng feels a bit warmer.

Why is vào used before tối nay, and can it be omitted or moved?

vào marks a point in time. With days of the week it’s required (e.g., vào Thứ Hai), but with parts of the day (sáng, chiều, tối) it’s optional. So you can say either (vào) tối nay. You can also place it at the front of the sentence:

Tối nay, cha mẹ tôi...
Vào tối nay, cha mẹ tôi...

Is nấu ăn cùng bạn the only possible word order? Where else can cùng bạn go?

Vietnamese is flexible. You can rearrange without changing meaning:

nấu ăn cùng bạn (cook with you)
cùng bạn nấu ăn
Both are natural. Less common but still understood: nấu cùng bạn ăn.

What does bạn mean here, and what other pronouns could replace it in different contexts?

bạn is a neutral, informal second-person pronoun meaning “you” when speaking to peers or friends. Depending on context and respect level, you might use:
• anh (to an older man)
• chị (to an older woman)
• em (to someone younger)
• ông/bà (polite to elders)
• cậu (very casual among close friends)

What is the overall sentence structure illustrated by this example?

It follows the common Vietnamese pattern:
Subject + Verb (+ Object) + Time/Place.
Here:
• Subject = Cha mẹ tôi
• Verb = muốn
• Object = gặp bạn và nấu ăn cùng bạn (two actions linked by và)
• Time = vào tối nay

Could you explain the difference between tối nay and đêm nay?

• tối nay = “this evening/tonight” (early evening, roughly 6–9 PM)
• đêm nay = “tonight” (late night, after dark – maybe 9 PM onward)
Both translate as “tonight,” but tối leans toward dinner-time or early evening, whereas đêm suggests late-night hours.