đừng

Don't

Level 1

Use đừng before a verb to tell someone 'Don't' do something.

How It Works

In Vietnamese, when you want to tell someone not to do something, you generally place đừng before the verb.

Unlike English, where 'don't' can be both a command ('Don't go!') and a statement ('I don't go'), Vietnamese uses different words. Đừng is the standard word for direct commands, while không is generally used for statements (though không được is used for strict rules or denying permission).

Key Rules & Variations:

Placement: It usually precedes the verb, but can be separated by certain adverbs (like bao giờ).
Tone: A bare đừng can sound blunt. To make it polite, add kinship pronouns, use xin (please), or soften it with final particles like nhé.
Standalone: You can exclaim Đừng! all by itself to mean 'Don't!' or 'Stop!'.
Casual Speech: Adding có (đừng có) is extremely common in everyday speech, especially in Southern Vietnamese, to make the command feel more natural and colloquial.
Playful Teasing: The phrase đừng có mà is often used playfully to mean 'now don't you go and...'.
Synonyms: Chớ is a synonym for đừng, often found in regional speech or literature.

Because Vietnamese has no verb conjugation, the verb after đừng stays exactly the same.

Examples (6)

Đừng!
Don't! / Stop!
Word by Word: Don't
You can use 'đừng' as a standalone exclamation to immediately stop someone from doing something.
Anh đừng đi nhé.
Please don't go, okay?
Word by Word: Older brother don't go [soft particle]
Using a kinship pronoun ('anh') and a final particle ('nhé') makes the request soft and polite.
Đừng khóc nữa.
Don't cry anymore.
Word by Word: Don't cry anymore
The pattern 'đừng ... nữa' is used to tell someone to stop doing something they are currently doing.
Đừng có lo.
Don't worry.
Word by Word: Don't have worry
Adding 'có' makes the phrase sound very natural and colloquial, especially in everyday spoken Vietnamese.
Đừng có mà quên đấy!
Now don't you go and forget!
Word by Word: Don't have [particle] forget [particle]
The phrase 'đừng có mà' adds a playful or teasing tone to the reminder.
Xin đừng hút thuốc.
Please don't smoke.
Word by Word: Please don't inhale smoke
Adding 'xin' makes the command formal and polite, often seen on public signs.

Common Mistakes

Using 'không' to tell someone not to do something.
Different MeaningKhông đi!
Đừng đi!
'Không đi!' is a natural sentence, but it states or refuses ('No, I'm not going!'). Không says that something is not happening. To give a command ('Don't go!'), use đừng.
Adding time markers before 'đừng'.
Ngày mai sẽ đừng đến.
Ngày mai đừng đến.
Because đừng is an imperative (a command), it cannot be preceded by time markers like sẽ (will) or đã (past).

How It Connects

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

đừngLevel 1Don't

Learn This First

To use 'đừng' (don't), you need to understand basic Vietnamese word order, specifically that modifiers like negation markers or imperative particles are placed directly before the verb. It is also helpful to understand how general negation works and how positive commands are formed.

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