về

About / as for

Level 3

Use về at the beginning of a sentence to establish the topic before making a comment about it.

How It Works

The preposition về is a core structural component in Vietnamese used to frame the subject matter of a sentence. Note: Do not confuse this preposition with the common verb về (to return, e.g., về nhà).

1. Basic Structure
Về means 'about' or 'regarding'. It can sit in its standard prepositional spot after the verb, or at the very beginning of the clause to front the topic:

  • [Subject] + [Verb] + về + [Topic]
  • Về + [Topic], [Subject] + [Verb]...

For example: Tôi không biết về chuyện đó. OR Về chuyện đó, tôi không biết. (About that matter, I don't know.)

2. Shifting Focus with 'Về phần' and 'Về mặt'
When you want to shift focus to a new person or a specific aspect of a broader topic, về is frequently expanded:

  • Về phần (as for / regarding the part of): Used for people or distinct parts. Example: Về phần tôi... (As for me...)
  • Về mặt (in terms of): Used for abstract aspects or categories. Example: Về mặt kỹ thuật... (In terms of technique...)

3. Framing Actions
In Vietnamese, verbs can inherently function as nouns, meaning you can attach an action directly to về to frame it as a topic:
Example: Về học tiếng Việt... (Regarding studying Vietnamese...) or Về ăn uống thì... (Regarding eating and drinking...)
You can also add the nounifier việc (Turning A Clause Into A Noun) before the action (e.g., Về việc học tiếng Việt...). This is optional and simply makes the phrase more formal or specific.

4. The Optional 'Thì'
Many learners are taught that a fronted topic must be followed by the particle thì (Marking The Topic With thì). While thì is frequently used to neatly separate the topic from the comment (e.g., Về chuyện đó thì tôi không biết), it is entirely optional and often omitted in natural, everyday speech.

5. Important Distinctions

  • Not for contrast: Use còn to directly contrast two things (e.g., 'I like tea, còn him, he likes coffee'). Về introduces a topic without requiring a contrast.
  • Not for opinions: Use đối với or theo to express a perspective ('To me / In my opinion'). Về tôi strictly means 'On the subject of me'.

Examples (4)

  1. Về chuyện đó, tôi không biết.

    About that matter, I have no idea.

    Word by Word: About matter that, I not know.

    A standard topic-comment structure. The topic ('that matter') is established before the subject ('I') gives the comment.

  2. Về phần tôi, tôi đồng ý với kế hoạch này.

    As for me, I agree with this plan.

    Word by Word: About part me, I agree with plan this.

    Using 'về phần' (as for the part of) is the most natural way to shift the focus to yourself or another person.

  3. Về ngữ pháp, tiếng Việt không chia động từ.

    Regarding grammar, Vietnamese does not conjugate verbs.

    Word by Word: About grammar, language Vietnamese not divide verb.

    Here, 'về' isolates a specific aspect ('grammar') of a broader subject ('the Vietnamese language').

  4. Về dự án mới thì chúng ta cần thêm thời gian.

    Regarding the new project, we need more time.

    Word by Word: About project new then we need add time.

    This example demonstrates the optional use of the particle 'thì' to clearly separate the topic phrase from the main clause.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'về' for numerical or temporal approximations (like 'about 5 o'clock').

    Tôi sẽ đến về 5 giờ.
    Tôi sẽ đến khoảng 5 giờ.

    In English, 'about' can mean 'regarding' or 'approximately'. In Vietnamese, về only means 'regarding/concerning'. For estimations or approximations, you must use words like khoảng or chừng.

  • Using 'về tôi' to mean 'in my opinion' or 'to me'.

    Về tôi, bộ phim này rất hay.
    Đối với tôi, bộ phim này rất hay.

    Về tôi strictly means 'on the subject of me' (e.g., 'They are talking about me'). To express a perspective or opinion, use đối với (regarding/to me) or theo (according to).

  • Placing the subject before the topic phrase when introducing a new topic.

    Tôi về phần đồng ý.
    Về phần tôi, tôi đồng ý.

    Về is a topic-fronting marker. It must be placed at the very beginning of the clause to establish the frame of reference before the main subject and verb appear.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

vềLevel 3About / as for

Learn This First

To use 'về' to introduce a topic, you should first understand the basic word order of Vietnamese and how the language frequently places the topic of a sentence at the very beginning to set the context.

Words in This Pattern