... chưa?

Have You Yet?

Level 1

Ask "Have you done it yet?" by placing chưa at the very end of the sentence.

How It Works

The particle chưa is one of the most frequently used words in everyday Vietnamese. It is placed at the very end of a clause to ask if an event has been realized or a state has been reached.

Structure:
[Subject] + (đã) + Verb / Adjective + [Object] + chưa?

  • Answering the question: The standard short responses are Rồi (Yes / Already) if the action is complete, and Chưa (No / Not yet) if it is not. For a full-sentence negative answer, use chưa before the verb (e.g., Chưa, tôi chưa ăn - No, I haven't eaten yet). In Southern dialects, you will also commonly hear Có or Có rồi as positive answers.
  • Using with adjectives: Because Vietnamese adjectives work like verbs, you can use this pattern to ask if a state has been reached (e.g., Đói chưa? - Are you hungry yet?, Xong chưa? - Are you finished yet?).
  • Dropping words: In natural spoken Vietnamese, the subject is frequently dropped when the context is clear between speakers (e.g., simply asking Ăn chưa? instead of Bạn ăn chưa?). The completed action marker đã is also usually omitted.
  • Aspect, not just past tense: chưa is strictly aspectual. It means "Have you [verb] yet?" and is used when the timeframe for the action is still open.
  • Contrasting with "không": If you are asking about a general truth, a future action, or a definitively closed past event (e.g., "Did you go to the concert last night?"), you must use có ... không? instead.

Examples (4)

  1. Bạn ăn cơm chưa?

    Have you eaten yet?

    Word by Word: Friend eat rice yet?

    This is the most common everyday greeting in Vietnam, used similarly to 'How are you?' in English. Notice that 'đã' is omitted here, which is very natural.

  2. Anh ấy làm xong việc đó chưa?

    Has he finished that work yet?

    Word by Word: He do finish work that yet?

    The particle 'chưa' must always go at the very end of the sentence, after the object.

  3. Chị đã mua vé chưa?

    Have you bought the tickets yet?

    Word by Word: Older-sister already buy ticket yet?

    Here, the optional marker 'đã' is included before the verb to emphasize the completed aspect.

  4. Em đi Sapa bao giờ chưa?

    Have you ever been to Sapa?

    Word by Word: Younger-sibling go Sapa ever yet?

    Pairing 'chưa' with 'bao giờ' (ever) is the standard way to ask about someone's life experiences.

Common Mistakes

  • Answering a 'chưa' question with 'không' (no).

    A: Bạn ăn cơm chưa? B: Không.
    A: Bạn ăn cơm chưa? B: Chưa.

    English speakers instinctively want to answer 'No' (không). However, the natural negative response to a 'chưa' question is chưa (not yet). Answering with 'không' sounds like a blunt refusal ('I do not eat').

  • Using 'không' for past negation when the window is still open.

    Tôi không ăn.
    Tôi chưa ăn.

    Learners often mistakenly use 'không' to say they didn't do something, when 'chưa' is required because the opportunity to do it is still open. 'Tôi không ăn' means 'I don't eat' or 'I will not eat', whereas 'Tôi chưa ăn' means 'I haven't eaten yet'.

  • Using 'chưa' for a definitively closed past event.

    Hôm qua bạn đi xem phim chưa?
    Hôm qua bạn có đi xem phim không?

    Because 'chưa' implies the action could still happen, it cannot be used for a time window that is already closed (like 'yesterday'). For closed past events, use có ... không?.

How It Connects

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

... chưa?Level 1Have You Yet?

Learn This First

To understand the '... chưa?' question pattern, learners need to grasp that Vietnamese uses aspect markers rather than verb tenses to indicate time and completion. Additionally, they must be familiar with the basic word order and the role of final particles in forming questions.

Words in This Pattern