Adjectives Work Like Verbs

Foundations

Vietnamese doesn't use a word for "is" or "are" before adjectives. The adjective itself acts as the verb!

How It Works

Because adjectives function as stative verbs in Vietnamese, they share many rules with action verbs, but have a few unique traits:

  • No basic "to be" verb: Generally, do not use the word là to link a subject to an adjective. Là is mainly used to link two nouns. However, it can sometimes appear before adjectives for strong emphasis or in the common phrase rất là.
  • No conjugation: Just like regular verbs, adjectives never change their form. There is no verb conjugation for tense, gender, or plural subjects.
  • Following the noun: When an adjective modifies a noun directly, it always comes after the noun (e.g., ngôi nhà lớn), following the rule of Adjective After The Noun. An exception is Sino-Vietnamese compounds, where the adjective often precedes the noun (e.g., siêu thị - "supermarket").
  • They take verb modifiers: You can put time markers like đã or negators like không directly in front of the adjective.
  • Linking with "thì": A very natural way to connect a subject and an adjective is by using the topic marker thì (e.g., Cuốn sách này thì đắt).
  • Comparisons: Since adjectives don't conjugate, you form comparatives and superlatives by adding words directly after the adjective, such as hơn (more/-er) and nhất (most/-est).
  • Yes/No questions: To ask a yes/no question with an adjective, use the standard có ... không? frame around it (e.g., Bạn có mệt không?).
  • Reduplication: Adjectives can be reduplicated (từ láy) to soften or intensify their meaning, such as softening an adjective by doubling it.

In Vietnamese, while bare adjectives can function as predicates, they often sound abrupt, incomplete, or carry a comparative or contrastive nuance (e.g., implying 'prettier' or 'bigger'). To make a truly neutral and balanced statement, native speakers frequently add a degree modifier like rất (before the adjective) or lắm (after the adjective) as rhythmic markers, even when they don't necessarily mean "very". The word quá can go before the adjective to mean "too" (excessive), or after it to mean "so/very!".

Examples (4)

  1. Tôi đói.

    I am hungry.

    Word by Word: I hungry.

    Notice there is no word for "am". The adjective "đói" acts as the whole predicate.

  2. Cô ấy đẹp.

    She is beautiful.

    Word by Word: She beautiful.

    The adjective connects directly to the subject without any linking verb.

  3. Con mèo rất dễ thương.

    The cat is very cute.

    Word by Word: Classifier-cat very cute.

    You can use degree words like "rất" (very) directly before the adjective to intensify it.

  4. Tôi không mệt.

    I am not tired.

    Word by Word: I not tired.

    Because adjectives act like verbs, you negate them directly with "không", just like an action verb.

Common Mistakes

  • Inserting "là" (to be) before an adjective.

    Tôi là mệt.
    Tôi rất mệt.

    "Là" normally links a subject to a noun (e.g., "Tôi là học sinh" = I am a student). It is not used for basic descriptions with adjectives. Using it before an adjective sounds unnatural to native speakers.

  • Translating "is not" literally by using "không phải là" before an adjective.

    Cô ấy không phải là cao.
    Cô ấy không cao.

    Because adjectives act like verbs, you negate them simply by placing không directly in front of them. Using không phải là (is not) before an adjective is a direct translation from English and is incorrect.

How It Connects

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Adjectives Work Like VerbsFoundations

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