Questions & Answers about Tôi đã nhận gói hàng hôm qua.
What is the function of đã in this sentence?
đã is the perfective/aspect marker that indicates the action is completed or happened in the past. It doesn’t translate to a single English word but shows that “receiving” is already done. Without đã, the verb would be in a general or present context.
Why is hôm qua placed at the end? Can it go elsewhere?
In Vietnamese you can put time expressions like hôm qua (“yesterday”) at the beginning or end of a sentence.
- At the end: “Tôi đã nhận gói hàng hôm qua.” (common in speech)
- At the beginning: “Hôm qua, tôi đã nhận gói hàng.” (adds emphasis to the time)
Do I need a classifier before gói hàng?
No additional classifier is needed because gói itself is both the noun “package” and the classifier for “package.” If you insert a numeral, you say, for example, một gói hàng (“one package”).
What is the difference between nhận and lấy?
- nhận means “to receive” (something sent or given to you).
- lấy means “to take” or “to pick up” (emphasizes the act of physically collecting).
So if a courier delivers it, you say nhận gói hàng; if you go to the post office yourself, you might say lấy gói hàng.
Can you omit in this sentence?