Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Vietnamese grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Giá lên.
Is Giá lên a complete sentence in Vietnamese, even though it seems so short?
Yes. It is a perfectly natural short sentence.
Vietnamese often allows very compact sentences when the context is clear. In Giá lên, giá is the topic/subject-like element, and lên functions as the predicate meaning go up / rise.
So the structure is basically:
- giá = price
- lên = go up, rise
English usually needs something like The price is going up or Prices are rising, but Vietnamese can say the same idea with just two words.
Does giá mean price or prices here?
It can cover either idea, depending on context.
Vietnamese nouns usually do not change form for singular vs. plural. So giá can mean:
- the price
- prices
- the cost of things
- market prices in a general sense
In a sentence this short, English may translate it as either:
- The price is going up
- Prices are going up
The surrounding context tells you which is most natural.
What exactly does lên mean in this sentence?