Learn Hardcore Vietnamese: Hôm qua tôi đã xem bộ phim với Lan.

hôm qua means “yesterday.” In Vietnamese, time adverbials can appear at the beginning (common) or at the end of the sentence. Placing hôm qua first sets the temporal context right away.

What is the function of đã in tôi đã xem?

đã is an aspect marker indicating that the action is completed (similar to simple past in English). It does not conjugate the verb; it simply shows the action has already happened.

Why is there bộ before phim? Can you say just phim?

Vietnamese uses classifiers between numbers or determiners and nouns. bộ is the classifier for films, books, sets, etc. You can say xem phim informally, but xem bộ phim is more specific/literal (“watch the movie”).

What does xem mean here? Are there other verbs for “watch”?

xem means “to watch” or “to view.” It’s the standard verb for watching films, TV, videos. You wouldn’t use thấy or nhìn for watching a movie because those mean “see” or “look.”

What does với indicate in với Lan? Could you use cùng instead?

với means “with,” marking accompaniment (“together with Lan”). You can often replace it with cùng (e.g., cùng Lan) with very similar meaning, though cùng feels slightly more collaborative/formal.

Could you move với Lan to another position, like Tôi với Lan đã xem bộ phim?

No, that sounds awkward. The normal order is Subject + (time) + Aspect + Verb + Object + (accompaniment). So với Lan must follow the object here: …xem bộ phim với Lan.

Why is tôi used as the subject? Are there other options?

tôi is a neutral first-person pronoun equivalent to “I.” In very informal speech among friends, you might use mình. In other contexts you could use regional pronouns like tao (very casual/slang) or more polite ones if you talk to elders.

Can you omit đã and still convey the past tense?

Yes. Hôm qua tôi xem bộ phim với Lan is perfectly understandable and often used in casual speech. However, omitting đã removes the explicit marker of completion, though context usually makes it clear.