Chậu ở ban công.

A word-by-word breakdown is:

• chậu = pot, plant pot, basin, or container depending on context
• ở = to be at / to be in / to be located at
• ban công = balcony

So the sentence means something like The pot is on the balcony or The pot is at the balcony/balcony area, depending on context.

Vietnamese usually does not require articles like a, an, or the the way English does.

So:

• chậu can mean a pot, the pot, or just pot
• ban công can mean a balcony or the balcony

The exact meaning depends on context. If the meaning has already been shown to the learner, then chậu here is probably being understood as the pot.

In this sentence, ở expresses location. It often means:

• to be at
• to be in
• to stay/live at in other contexts

So in Chậu ở ban công, ở works like is located at/in.

A natural English gloss is:

• The pot is on the balcony

Even though English uses is, Vietnamese uses ở to show location. So it is not exactly a direct translation of to be, but in sentences about location it often fills a similar role.

Vietnamese often uses ở more generally for location, where English makes finer distinctions like:

• in
• on
• at

So ở ban công means the object is located at/on/in the balcony area, depending on how English would naturally say it.

English prefers on the balcony, but Vietnamese can still simply use ở.

If you want to be more specific in Vietnamese, you might sometimes use words like:

• trên = on / above
• ngoài = outside
• trong = in / inside

But ở ban công is a normal way to express location.

Yes, trên ban công can be possible, but it has a slightly different feel.

• ở ban công = located at the balcony / on the balcony in a general sense
• trên ban công = specifically on the balcony, with a stronger sense of physical position

In many everyday situations, ở ban công sounds very natural and is less specific. Vietnamese often prefers this broader location phrasing.

Not necessarily from the word alone.

Chậu can refer to several kinds of containers, such as:

• a plant pot
• a basin
• a washbowl
• a tub-like container

Context decides the exact meaning.

If the speaker wants to make it clearer that it is a flower pot or plant pot, they might say:

• chậu cây = plant pot
• chậu hoa = flower pot

So chậu by itself is somewhat broad.

By itself, chậu does not clearly mark singular or plural.

Depending on context, it could mean:

• the pot
• a pot
• sometimes even pots, if the context makes that clear

If you want to make the number explicit, Vietnamese often adds a numeral or quantity word:

• một chậu = one pot
• hai chậu = two pots
• những chậu = pots / some pots
• các chậu = the pots / pots in a general plural sense

Vietnamese classifiers are common, but they are not required in every sentence.

You often see classifiers:

• with numbers: một cái chậu
• when pointing something out: cái chậu này
• when being more specific or natural in some contexts

But a bare noun like chậu is also possible, especially when the object is already understood from context or when the sentence is short and simple.

So:

• Chậu ở ban công. = acceptable, especially in context
• Cái chậu ở ban công. = also natural, and may sound a bit more like The pot is on the balcony

It can be natural, but it may sound a little context-dependent on its own.

In real conversation, speakers often give a bit more detail, such as:

• Cái chậu ở ban công.
• Chậu cây ở ban công.
• Cái chậu cây ở ban công.

A very short sentence like Chậu ở ban công can sound like:

• a short answer
• a note
• a caption
• something said when the listener already knows which pot is being discussed

So it is grammatical, but in everyday speech the fuller versions may be more common.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

• chậu ≈ chuh-oh with a falling/glottalized tone
• ở ≈ a short vowel somewhat like uh with the hỏi/ngã-type contour depending on dialect
• ban công ≈ bahn gohng

More importantly, watch the tones:

• chậu has the nặng tone
• ở has the hỏi tone in standard spelling
• ban has no marked tone ngang
• công has no marked tone ngang

If you are learning northern pronunciation, the tones matter a lot for being understood.

You can do that quite simply.

Negative:

• Chậu không ở ban công. = The pot is not on the balcony.

Yes/no question:

• Chậu ở ban công à?
• Chậu ở ban công phải không?

These mean:

• Is the pot on the balcony?

So the basic pattern is easy to reuse:

• [noun] + ở + [place]

For example:

• Mèo ở nhà. = The cat is at home.
• Sách ở trên bàn. = The book is on the table.