Tối nay, chúng tôi sẽ cùng xem phim trong nhà.

Breakdown of Tối nay, chúng tôi sẽ cùng xem phim trong nhà.

nhà
the house
sẽ
will
tối nay
tonight
chúng tôi
we
trong
in
xem
to watch
phim
the movie
cùng
together

Questions & Answers about Tối nay, chúng tôi sẽ cùng xem phim trong nhà.

Why does the sentence start with Tối nay?

Vietnamese very often puts time expressions near the beginning of the sentence.

So:

  • Tối nay = tonight
  • then the rest of the sentence says who will do what

A very common Vietnamese pattern is:

Time + subject + verb phrase

So this sentence follows a natural Vietnamese order: Tối nay, chúng tôi sẽ cùng xem phim trong nhà.

English can also do this: Tonight, we will watch a movie together indoors.

What exactly does tối nay mean?

Tối nay means tonight.

Breakdown:

  • tối = evening / night
  • nay = this / today / tonight, depending on context

Together, tối nay refers to this evening/tonight.

A learner should know that Vietnamese time words are often built this way:

  • sáng nay = this morning
  • chiều nay = this afternoon
  • tối nay = tonight
Why is there a comma after Tối nay?

The comma separates the introductory time phrase from the main clause.

So:

  • Tối nay, = Tonight,
  • chúng tôi sẽ cùng xem phim trong nhà. = we will watch a movie together indoors.

In informal writing, Vietnamese sometimes omits this comma, but using it is clear and natural.

Why is chúng tôi used instead of chúng ta?

This is a very important Vietnamese pronoun distinction.

  • chúng tôi = we, but not including the listener
  • chúng ta = we, including the listener

So if the speaker says:

  • chúng tôi → the listener is not part of the group
  • chúng ta → the listener is part of the group

In this sentence, chúng tôi tells you that the speaker is talking about their group, not you and them together.

What does sẽ do in this sentence?

Sẽ is a future marker. It works a lot like will in English.

So:

  • chúng tôi xem phim = we watch / we are watching movies
  • chúng tôi sẽ xem phim = we will watch a movie / movie(s)

In this sentence:

  • sẽ makes the future meaning explicit

That said, Vietnamese often does not have to mark future if the time is already clear. Because Tối nay already shows future time, a speaker might also say:

  • Tối nay, chúng tôi cùng xem phim trong nhà.

But sẽ makes it clearer and a bit more deliberate.

What does cùng mean here?

Cùng here means together.

It shows that the group will do the action with one another.

So:

  • xem phim = watch a movie / watch movies
  • cùng xem phim = watch a movie together

In this sentence, cùng comes before the verb:

  • sẽ cùng xem phim

That placement is normal in Vietnamese.

Why is it xem phim and not something like xem một phim?

Because xem phim is a very common general expression meaning:

  • watch a movie
  • watch movies
  • sometimes even watch a film/show

Vietnamese often does not require an article like a or the.

So xem phim can be general and natural without a number word.

If you want to be more specific, you could say:

  • xem một bộ phim = watch a movie
  • xem bộ phim đó = watch that movie

But in everyday speech, xem phim is extremely common.

Why is there no word for a or the before phim?

Vietnamese does not use articles the same way English does.

English needs words like:

  • a movie
  • the movie

Vietnamese usually does not.

So phim by itself can mean:

  • movie
  • movies
  • the movie

The exact meaning depends on context.

That is why xem phim sounds complete and natural in Vietnamese.

What does trong nhà mean exactly?

Trong nhà literally means inside the house/home or indoors.

Breakdown:

  • trong = inside / in
  • nhà = house / home

So trong nhà emphasizes being inside, not outside.

In this sentence, it suggests that the movie-watching will happen indoors.

Why does the sentence use trong nhà instead of ở nhà?

This is a nuance question.

  • ở nhà = at home
  • trong nhà = inside the house / indoors

So the difference is:

  • ở nhà focuses more on location: at home
  • trong nhà focuses more on being inside

In this sentence, trong nhà suggests the contrast is probably inside vs. outside.

For example:

  • xem phim ở nhà = watch a movie at home
  • xem phim trong nhà = watch a movie indoors

Both can be natural, but they are not exactly identical.

What is the basic word order of this sentence?

The sentence follows a very common Vietnamese pattern:

Time + subject + future marker + adverb + verb + object + location

So here:

  • Tối nay = time
  • chúng tôi = subject
  • sẽ = future marker
  • cùng = adverb meaning together
  • xem = verb
  • phim = object
  • trong nhà = location

That gives:

Tối nay, chúng tôi sẽ cùng xem phim trong nhà.

Vietnamese word order is often fairly direct once you learn where time words and small markers go.

Could sẽ or cùng be omitted?

Yes, either one can be omitted, depending on what you want to emphasize.

  • Without sẽ:

    • Tối nay, chúng tôi cùng xem phim trong nhà.
    • Still understandable because Tối nay already shows future time.
  • Without cùng:

    • Tối nay, chúng tôi sẽ xem phim trong nhà.
    • This means Tonight, we will watch a movie indoors, but it no longer explicitly says together.

So:

  • sẽ adds clear future meaning
  • cùng adds the idea of doing it together
How would I make this sentence negative?

You usually add không before the main verb phrase.

So:

  • Tối nay, chúng tôi sẽ không cùng xem phim trong nhà.

This means: Tonight, we will not watch a movie together indoors.

You may also hear:

  • Tối nay, chúng tôi không xem phim trong nhà.

If the future is already clear from context, sẽ can be dropped.

Can the subject be left out in Vietnamese?

Sometimes, yes — if the context is already clear.

For example, in conversation, someone might say:

  • Tối nay sẽ cùng xem phim trong nhà.

That can be understood if everyone already knows who is being talked about.

But in a full, clear sentence, including chúng tôi is better, especially for learners.

So:

  • with subject = clearer and more complete
  • without subject = possible in context, but less explicit
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
Your avatar
What's the best way to learn Vietnamese grammar?
Vietnamese grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Vietnamese

Master Vietnamese — from Tối nay, chúng tôi sẽ cùng xem phim trong nhà to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • AI tutor to answer your grammar questions