Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Vietnamese grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Bạn đã mệt chưa? Nếu mệt thì nghỉ một chút.
Why is đã used in Bạn đã mệt chưa?
Đã marks the perfective aspect, indicating something that may have happened already. In this question it suggests “Have you gotten tired yet?” rather than just “Are you tired?” It frames mệt as a change of state that might already have occurred.
What does chưa do at the end of Bạn đã mệt chưa?
Chưa literally means “not yet” and when placed at the end of a verb or adjective with đã, it turns the sentence into a yes/no question about whether something has happened. So Bạn đã mệt chưa? = “Have you (already) become tired yet?”
Can we say Bạn mệt chưa? instead of Bạn đã mệt chưa?
Yes, Bạn mệt chưa? is understandable and colloquial. However, it loses the nuance of “already.” If you want a neutral way to ask “Are you tired?”, you’d more often use Bạn có mệt không? which focuses on the current state rather than on whether tiredness has set in “yet.”
What’s the difference between Bạn đã mệt chưa? and Bạn có mệt không?
- Bạn đã mệt chưa? = “Have you gotten tired yet?” (perfective aspect, change of state)
- Bạn có mệt không? = “Are you tired?” (simple state question using the có…không pattern)
Why isn’t there a verb like là between bạn and mệt?
In Vietnamese, adjectives can function as predicates without a copula. Mệt (“tired”) is an adjective-verb in itself, so you simply say Bạn mệt (You are tired) or add particles like đã/chưa to change the aspect or turn it into a question.
How does Nếu mệt thì nghỉ một chút work, and why is the subject omitted?
- Nếu mệt literally means “if (you are) tired.” The subject bạn (you) is dropped because it’s clear from context.
- Thì acts like an untranslatable “then,” linking the condition to the result.
- Nghỉ một chút is an imperative: “rest for a bit.” Vietnamese frequently omits the subject (bạn) in commands.
What does thì do in Nếu mệt thì nghỉ một chút?
Thì is a structural particle that highlights the main clause following a conditional nếu clause. It’s similar to “then” in English—optional but common in everyday speech to make the connection clear.
What does một chút mean here, and are there synonyms?
Một chút means “a little” or “a short amount (of time).” In this sentence it’s “a little rest.” Synonyms for a brief time include một lát, một tí, or the more colloquial một tẹo. Each has a slightly different register, but they all convey a small amount.
How could I make these sentences more polite or formal?
- Use polite pronouns: Anh/chị instead of bạn.
- Add xin and use nghỉ ngơi instead of nghỉ.
Example:
Anh/chị đã cảm thấy mệt chưa? Nếu mệt thì xin nghỉ ngơi một lát.