Tôi thích áo màu đen.

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Breakdown of Tôi thích áo màu đen.

• thích: to like
• áo: the shirt
• màu đen: black

Questions & Answers about Tôi thích áo màu đen.

Why is màu đen used after áo? Why not put đen before the noun like in English?

In Vietnamese, descriptive words usually come after the noun, not before it.

So:

• áo màu đen = black shirt/clothing item
• literally: shirt color black

English says black shirt, but Vietnamese typically says shirt black or shirt color black.

In everyday Vietnamese, you may also hear:

• áo đen

This is shorter and very common. Áo màu đen sounds a little more explicit, as if you are specifically mentioning the color.

What does áo mean exactly? Is it shirt or clothes?

Áo most often means a shirt, top, or upper-body garment.

Depending on context, it can refer to things like:

• shirt
• T-shirt
• jacket
• blouse
• coat

So in Tôi thích áo màu đen, a learner will often understand it as I like black shirts/clothes, but the exact type of clothing depends on context.

If you want to be more specific, Vietnamese often adds another word:

• áo sơ mi = dress shirt
• áo thun = T-shirt
• áo khoác = jacket