Ảnh chân dung này khá rõ.

Breakdown of Ảnh chân dung này khá rõ.

này
this
khá
quite
clear
ảnh chân dung
the portrait photo

Questions & Answers about Ảnh chân dung này khá rõ.

Why is there no word for is in Ảnh chân dung này khá rõ?

Vietnamese often leaves out the verb to be when describing something with an adjective.

So:

  • Ảnh chân dung này khá rõ
  • literally: This portrait photo quite clear
  • natural English: This portrait photo is quite clear

This is very normal in Vietnamese. Adjectives can act like the predicate by themselves.

A similar pattern:

  • Phòng này rộng. = This room is spacious.
  • Cô ấy đẹp. = She is beautiful.

You only use in other situations, such as identifying or equating things, not usually before descriptive adjectives.


What does ảnh mean here? Is it the same as photo or picture?

Ảnh usually means photo/photograph, though in casual speech it can sometimes overlap with picture depending on context.

In this sentence, ảnh clearly means photo.

Common related words:

  • ảnh = photo
  • bức ảnh / tấm ảnh = a photo, a photograph
  • hình = picture/image; in some regions it is also commonly used for photo

So:

  • Ảnh chân dung này khá rõ = This portrait photo is quite clear
  • Bức ảnh chân dung này khá rõ would also be natural and a bit more explicit.

What does chân dung mean, and how does it work in the sentence?

Chân dung means portrait.

In ảnh chân dung, it modifies ảnh and means portrait photo or portrait photograph.

So the structure is:

  • ảnh = photo
  • chân dung = portrait
  • ảnh chân dung = portrait photo

This is a common Vietnamese pattern: the main noun comes first, and the modifying noun or descriptive element follows it.

Compare:

  • xe đạp = bicycle
  • nhà bếp = kitchen
  • ảnh chân dung = portrait photo

Why does này come after the noun instead of before it?

In Vietnamese, demonstratives like này (this) usually come after the noun phrase, not before it as in English.

So:

  • ảnh chân dung này = this portrait photo

The order is:

  • noun + modifier(s) + demonstrative

Examples:

  • quyển sách này = this book
  • người đàn ông kia = that man
  • bức ảnh đẹp này = this beautiful photo

So này after ảnh chân dung is completely normal Vietnamese word order.


What does khá mean here? Is it the same as very?

No. Khá usually means quite, fairly, or rather. It is weaker than rất (very).

So:

  • khá rõ = quite clear / fairly clear
  • rất rõ = very clear

This means the speaker is saying the photo is clear to a reasonably noticeable degree, but not necessarily extremely clear.

A rough comparison:

  • hơi rõ = a little clear
  • khá rõ = fairly/quite clear
  • rất rõ = very clear

So khá gives a moderate, natural-sounding evaluation.


What does mean here?

means clear.

In the context of a photo, it can mean:

  • the image is not blurry
  • details can be seen clearly
  • the subject is visually distinct

So Ảnh chân dung này khá rõ means the portrait photo looks reasonably clear.

You will also see in other contexts:

  • Nghe rõ không? = Can you hear clearly?
  • Nói rõ hơn đi. = Please explain more clearly.
  • Chữ này không rõ. = This writing is not clear.

So is a very useful adjective/adverb in Vietnamese.


Could I say bức ảnh chân dung này khá rõ instead?

Yes, absolutely.

Adding bức makes the noun phrase a bit fuller:

  • Ảnh chân dung này khá rõ.
  • Bức ảnh chân dung này khá rõ.

Both are natural. The version without bức is shorter and very common in everyday speech.

A small note:

  • bức ảnh = a photo/picture
  • tấm ảnh = a photo/picture

Both bức and tấm can work as classifiers for photos, though usage can vary by habit and region.


Can I say Bức chân dung này khá rõ?

You can, but the meaning may shift a little depending on context.

  • bức chân dung often means a portrait in a broader sense, such as a drawing, painting, or portrait image in general.
  • ảnh chân dung specifically tells the listener it is a photo.

So if you want to be clear that it is a photograph, ảnh chân dung is better.

Compare:

  • ảnh chân dung = portrait photo
  • bức chân dung = portrait, possibly not a photo

Is the word order in this sentence fixed?

The basic order is the natural one:

  • Ảnh chân dung này = this portrait photo
  • khá rõ = is quite clear

So the full structure is:

  • noun phrase + degree word + adjective

That is why Ảnh chân dung này khá rõ sounds natural.

If you move things around too much, it will sound unnatural or change the meaning. For example, something like Ảnh này chân dung khá rõ does not work as a normal equivalent.

A good pattern to remember is:

  • [noun phrase] + [degree word] + [adjective]

Examples:

  • Căn phòng này rất rộng. = This room is very spacious.
  • Bài này khá khó. = This lesson is quite difficult.
  • Ảnh chân dung này khá rõ. = This portrait photo is quite clear.

How would a native speaker naturally pronounce this sentence?

A careful pronunciation would be roughly:

  • Ảnh — rising glottalized tone in Southern speech, or a broken rising tone in Northern speech
  • chân — level tone
  • dung — level tone
  • này — rising tone
  • khá — rising tone
  • — dipping/glottalized rising tone depending on dialect

If you are a beginner, the most important thing is to keep the tones distinct, especially on:

  • này
  • khá

Also note that ảnh begins with the nh sound, somewhat like the ny sound in canyon for many learners.

A rough learner-friendly approximation is:

  • anh chuhn zoong nay kha ro

But that is only approximate. It is much better to learn it with audio because Vietnamese tones are crucial for being understood.


Is this sentence natural Vietnamese, or would people say it differently?

Yes, it is natural.

It is a normal, concise way to comment on the quality of a portrait photo.

Depending on context, native speakers might also say:

  • Bức ảnh chân dung này khá rõ.
  • Ảnh này khá rõ.
    if portrait is already understood
  • Ảnh chân dung này rõ đấy.
    a slightly more conversational tone
  • Ảnh này khá nét.
    if they want to emphasize sharpness

So your original sentence is correct and natural, especially when you want to specify that the image is a portrait photo.

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