Verb + đã

Let Me Do This First

Level 4

Placing đã at the very end of a sentence means "first" or "for now." It shows that the stated action takes priority and must be done before moving on to anything else.

How It Works

The structure is simple: [Verb Phrase] + đã.

This pattern is extremely frequent in everyday, modern spoken Vietnamese. It serves several pragmatic functions:

  • Prioritization: It tells the listener "let's get this out of the way first" before doing whatever comes next.
  • Softening Imperatives: Instead of a direct command, adding đã makes the sentence sound like a friendly suggestion or a logical delay.

Common Sequences:
It is highly common to link two actions using the sequence [Verb 1] + đã, rồi + [Verb 2] (Do Verb 1 first, and then Verb 2). When giving advice or commands, this is frequently expanded to [Verb 1] + đã, rồi hãy + [Verb 2] (e.g., Ăn cơm cái đã rồi hãy đi).

Negative Imperatives:
To tell someone not to do something yet, you can use the structure Khoan + [Verb] + đã (e.g., Khoan đi đã = Wait before you go / Don't go yet).

Conversational Notes:

  • In everyday colloquial speech, particularly in the Southern dialect, it is frequently expanded to cái đã to improve sentence rhythm and add a warmer tone. Northern speakers rarely add 'cái'.
  • It is commonly paired with the adverb trước (before/first) to form the highly natural phrase trước đã.
  • It is frequently used in fixed conversational chunks like Khoan đã (Wait a minute / Hold on) and Từ từ đã (Slow down / Take it easy first).

Register: This pattern is highly casual and colloquial. It is generally avoided in formal writing or news broadcasts, which instead favor explicit sequencing phrases like trước tiên or trước hết.

Examples (6)

  1. Mệt quá! Nghỉ xíu đã.

    I'm so tired! Let's rest for a bit first.

    Word by Word: Tired very! Rest little first.

    A very natural way to suggest pausing current activities to prioritize resting.

  2. Đợi tớ rửa bát xong đã.

    Wait for me to finish washing the dishes first.

    Word by Word: Wait me wash bowls finish first.

    The speaker is delaying the next action until the current task (washing dishes) is completed.

  3. Đừng vội, vô đây uống ly bia cái đã!

    Don't rush, come in here and have a glass of beer first!

    Word by Word: Don't hurry, enter here drink glass beer first!

    A common colloquial usage featuring 'cái đã' to make the invitation sound warm and rhythmic.

  4. Cứ để đó, ăn cơm trước đã.

    Just leave it there, let's eat first.

    Word by Word: Just leave there, eat rice before first.

    Combines 'trước' and 'đã' for a very natural, slightly redundant emphasis on doing something before anything else.

  5. Cho tôi suy nghĩ đã.

    Let me think about it first.

    Word by Word: Give me think first.

    Used to buy time and delay making a decision.

  6. Cứ ăn cơm đã, rồi tính sau.

    Just eat first, and then we'll figure it out later.

    Word by Word: Just eat rice first, then calculate later.

    Demonstrates the highly common '[Verb 1] + đã, rồi + [Verb 2]' sequence to clearly order two actions.

Common Mistakes

  • Using sentence-final 'đã' to say 'I already ate'.

    Tôi ăn đã. (When trying to say 'I already ate')
    Tôi đã ăn rồi.

    The sentence Tôi ăn đã is good Vietnamese, but it means 'Let me eat first'. Because learners are often taught that đã means 'past tense', they misread it. Before the verb, đã marks a completed action. At the end of a clause, it means 'first, before anything else'.

How It Connects

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

Verb + đãLevel 4Let Me Do This First

Learn This First

To understand 'Verb + đã' (meaning 'let me do this first'), a learner needs to be familiar with the basic aspect marker 'đã' and how Vietnamese uses sentence-final particles to add nuance or sequence to an action without changing the verb itself.

Words in This Pattern