có phải ... không?

Is It True That ...?

Level 1

Use có phải ... không? to ask 'Is it true that...?' or 'Are you...?' when you want to confirm information.

How It Works

This pattern is used to ask 'Is it true that...?' or 'Is it the case that...?'.

1. With Nouns (Most Common)
It wraps around the To Be verb and a noun. You can place có phải before or after the subject without changing the meaning:

  • Subject + có phải + là + Noun + không?
  • Có phải + Subject + là + Noun + không?

Note that when the predicate is a possessive using Possessive Marker, the word là is usually dropped (e.g., Cái này có phải của bạn không?). Additionally, if the context is obvious, the subject can be dropped entirely (e.g., Có phải là bác sĩ không?). See Dropping The Subject for more details.

2. With Verbs and Adjectives (Confirming a Situation)
While Yes-No Question is the standard way to ask neutral questions about actions or states, you can use có phải ... không? with verbs and adjectives to confirm a rumor, a condition, or a whole situation. You can put có phải at the very beginning of the sentence (e.g., Có phải bạn đã sinh ra ở Mỹ không?). You can also place it after the subject if tense markers (like đã, đang) or adjectives are used (e.g., Anh có phải đang ốm không?). Be careful: if you place it right before a bare verb without a tense marker, it can change the meaning to the word Must / Have To.

3. As a Tag Question
You can also use phải không? (or its highly common synonym đúng không?) at the end of a statement to ask for confirmation, similar to '..., right?' or '..., isn't it?' in English. See Right? (tag question) for more details:

  • Statement + , phải không? / đúng không?

Regional Note: Southern speakers heavily prefer the short ..., phải không? or ..., đúng không?, whereas Northern speakers frequently use the full ..., có phải không?.

4. How to Answer
To answer this type of question, use:

  • Yes: The standard and most natural answers are Phải, Đúng, or Đúng vậy (add Polite Yes if needed). Answering Có is also an acceptable, casual alternative. For non-noun questions, it is also common to say Đúng rồi or simply repeat the verb/adjective.
  • No: Không phải. If you want to give a full sentence reply to a noun question, you can add là to make it Is Not (e.g., Không phải, tôi không phải là bác sĩ). However, dropping là (e.g., Không phải, tôi không phải bác sĩ) is extremely common and perfectly acceptable in everyday usage.

Note: In casual spoken Vietnamese, the word có is frequently dropped, leaving just phải ... không? (e.g., Phải anh đi làm không?).

Examples (4)

  1. Anh có phải là người Việt Nam không?

    Are you Vietnamese? / Is it true that you are Vietnamese?

    Word by Word: Brother have right be person Vietnam no

    The most common structure, wrapping around 'là' and a noun phrase.

  2. Có phải hôm nay là sinh nhật của bạn không?

    Is today your birthday? / Is it true that today is your birthday?

    Word by Word: Have right today be birthday belong friend no

    Placing 'có phải' at the very beginning of the sentence is also perfectly natural.

  3. Đây có phải là điện thoại của em không?

    Is this your phone?

    Word by Word: This have right be phone belong younger sibling no

  4. Có phải bạn đã đi Đà Nẵng tuần trước không?

    Is it true that you went to Da Nang last week?

    Word by Word: Have right friend already go Da Nang week before no

    Used with an action verb to confirm a whole situation or rumor. Notice how 'có phải' is placed at the beginning.

Common Mistakes

  • The 'Must' Trap: Placing 'có phải' right before an action verb.

    Different MeaningAnh có phải đi làm không?
    Có phải anh đi làm không?

    'Anh có phải đi làm không?' is a good sentence, but if you place 'có phải' directly before a verb, native speakers will interpret 'phải' as 'must' (Do you HAVE TO go to work?). To ask 'Is it true you are going to work?', place 'có phải' at the beginning of the sentence.

  • Doubling up question structures.

    Bạn có phải là sinh viên phải không?
    Bạn có phải là sinh viên không?

    Do not combine the 'có phải ... không?' wrapping frame with the 'phải không?' tag question at the end. Choose one or the other.

How It Connects

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

có phải ... không?Level 1Is It True That ...?

Learn This First

To learn 'có phải ... không?', you first need to understand the basic 'có ... không?' question frame. This pattern specifically uses the word 'phải' (meaning 'correct' or 'right') to ask for confirmation of a fact or identity, so knowing how to address people with pronouns and how to answer yes-no questions is vital.

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