cho + Person + Verb

This pattern is extremely common in everyday Vietnamese. Because Vietnamese has no verb conjugation, the words remain the same regardless of tense.

Key Concepts & Distinctions:

• The 'To Give' Connection: The fundamental meaning of cho is 'to give'. This literal meaning scales logically depending on word order: giving permission (Cho + Person + Verb = Let someone do it) versus giving a favor (Verb + cho + Person = Do it for someone).
• Active Permission vs. Non-interference: Use cho when actively granting a request. Do not confuse it with để, which in permission contexts means 'to leave someone alone to do something' or 'to volunteer' (e.g., Để tôi làm = Let me handle it). However, để also means 'in order to', which is why native speakers frequently combine them into để cho (để cho + Person + Verb) to express purpose or permission.
• Asking for Permission: This pattern is essential for making polite requests. You can ask for permission by saying Cho + pronoun + Verb, often softened with nhé or được không? (e.g., Cho tôi xem nhé? = Let me see, okay?).
• Expressing Purpose (So That): While để is the primary conjunction for 'so that / in order to', cho is frequently used to express purpose or beneficiary actions ('for someone to do something'). This is often expanded to để cho (e.g., Nói to lên cho tôi nghe = Speak up so that I can hear). Additionally, the verb in this purpose pattern can be replaced by a descriptive adjective (e.g., Mở cửa cho mát = Open the door so it's cool).
• Let vs. Make: While English uses the same sentence structure for 'make' and 'let' (Verb + Person + Verb), Vietnamese requires you to choose the right verb. While cho can mean 'let/allow', it also commonly expresses purpose or beneficiary actions. To say 'make/force', you must distinguish between forcing an action using bắt (e.g., bắt tôi học = make me study) and causing a state or feeling using làm cho (e.g., làm cho tôi khóc = make me cry).
• Receiving Permission: To express that you are allowed to do something, you need the passive marker được. You can use được cho, được phép, or simply được + Verb (e.g., Tôi được đi = I am allowed to go). To express negative permission (not being allowed), use không được or không được phép (e.g., Tôi không được đi = I am not allowed to go).
• Negative Form: To deny permission, simply place không (do not) or đừng (don't) before cho (e.g., không cho = do not allow, đừng cho = don't let).

In highly formal or legal contexts, you might hear the compound verb cho phép, but in daily life, simply using cho is the most natural choice.