Verb + kịp

Make It in Time

Level 4

Kịp means "in time." It attaches to verbs to show that you managed to do something before time ran out.

How It Works

Affirmative Forms:

  • Verb + kịp: You manage to finish an action in time or keep up with the pace (e.g., Làm kịp = Finish the work in time / Keep up with the work).
  • Kịp + Verb: You have enough time to initiate or do an action before a deadline (e.g., Kịp ăn = Have time to eat).
  • Kịp + Noun: You are in time for an event or to catch a mode of transport (e.g., Kịp giờ = On time / Kịp chuyến bay = Catch the flight / Kịp xe buýt = Catch the bus).

Object Placement:
When an object is involved, its position is highly flexible. While affirmative sentences have three valid object placements (e.g., Làm bài kịp, Kịp làm bài, and Làm kịp bài are all valid), the negative form introduces a fourth structure because không can be placed in different positions. Here are the common structures:

  • Verb + Object + (không) kịp: The object goes between the verb and the complement (e.g., Làm bài kịp = Finish the assignment in time / Làm bài không kịp = Can't finish the assignment in time).
  • (Không) kịp + Verb + Object: The object goes at the end (e.g., Kịp làm bài = Have time to do the assignment / Không kịp làm bài = Didn't have time to do the assignment).
  • (Không) + Verb + kịp + Object: The object goes at the end (e.g., Làm kịp bài = Finish the assignment in time / Không làm kịp bài = Won't be able to / Couldn't finish the assignment in time).
  • Verb + không kịp + Object: The object goes after the complement (e.g., Làm không kịp bài = Can't finish the assignment in time). This is a very common and natural word order in everyday Vietnamese.

Negation Nuances:
When negated, the position of the negative marker changes the meaning slightly:

  • Verb + không + kịp: You tried to do the action, but time ran out before you could finish, or you cannot keep up with the pace, volume, or demand (e.g., Làm không kịp = Can't finish in time / Can't keep up with the work).
  • Không + Verb + kịp: A general statement of inability to finish in time, applicable to both future predictions and past events (e.g., Hôm qua tôi không làm kịp bài = Yesterday I didn't finish the assignment in time).
  • Không kịp + Verb: You didn't have the time to do or initiate the action before it was too late (e.g., Không kịp phanh = Didn't have time to brake / Không kịp ăn = Didn't even get around to eating).

Verbs of Motion & Purpose:

  • Verbs of Motion: Kịp is frequently used with verbs of motion to express arriving or returning in time (e.g., Đến kịp = Arrive in time / Về kịp = Return in time).
  • Purpose: To link kịp to a subsequent action or noun, use kịp để + Verb (in time to do something) or kịp cho + Noun (in time for something). For example, Đến kịp để xem phim (Arrive in time to watch the movie) or Về kịp cho bữa tối (Return in time for dinner).

Chưa kịp... đã/thì...:
This highly frequent pattern means "Hardly had [Subject] done [Action 1] when [Action 2] happened" or "Before [Subject] even had time to...". For example, Tôi chưa kịp nói thì anh ấy đã đi rồi (Before I even had time to speak, he had already left).

Asking Questions:
To ask if someone can make it in time, use Có kịp không? (Is there enough time?) or Verb + kịp không? (Can you finish [Verb] in time?).

Kịp vs. Other Capability Complements:
Learners often overuse không thể or không được for all types of inability. Native speakers are much more specific:

  • Kịp: Time constraint (Không kịp ăn = No time to eat).
  • Được: General ability or permission (Ăn không được = Can't eat because of skill, permission, or allergies).
  • Nổi: Physical stamina (Ăn không nổi = Too full or sick to eat).
  • Xuể: Volume/Quantity (Ăn không xuể = Too much food to finish).

Common Collocations:
You will frequently encounter kịp paired with time words, such as kịp lúc or kịp giờ (in time / on time). For example, Đến kịp lúc (Arrived just in time). Another core vocabulary word is kịp thời (timely / promptly), used for actions done at the right moment.

Note: Do not confuse kịp with "fast" (nhanh). You can run fast (chạy nhanh) but still not make it in time (chạy không kịp).

Examples (5)

  1. Đi liền đi, cho kịp giờ chiếu phim.

    Let's go right now so we make the movie in time.

    Word by Word: Go immediately go, to in-time hour project film.

    Used in the affirmative to express meeting a time constraint.

  2. Nó đi nhanh quá, tôi không kịp nói gì hết.

    He left so fast I didn't get to say anything in time.

    Word by Word: He go fast too, I not in-time say what at-all.

    Here, 'không kịp' precedes the verb 'nói', meaning the speaker didn't even have time to start speaking.

  3. Trời mưa, tôi không kịp lấy đồ vào.

    It rained, and I didn't have time to bring the laundry inside.

    Word by Word: Sky rain, I not in-time take stuff in.

    Another example of 'không kịp + Verb', showing the opportunity passed before the action could begin.

  4. Bài tập nhiều quá, em làm không kịp.

    There is so much homework, I won't finish it in time.

    Word by Word: Lesson practice much too, I do not in-time.

    Here, 'không kịp' follows the verb 'làm'. The student is doing the homework, but time will run out before it is finished.

  5. Sáng nay tôi dậy trễ nên chưa kịp ăn sáng.

    I woke up late this morning so I haven't had time to eat breakfast yet.

    Word by Word: Morning this I wake late so not-yet in-time eat morning.

    You can use 'chưa' instead of 'không' to mean you haven't had the time to do it yet.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'không thể' when the failure is about running out of time.

    Different MeaningTôi không thể nộp hồ sơ vì hết hạn.
    Tôi nộp hồ sơ không kịp.

    'Tôi không thể nộp hồ sơ vì hết hạn' is a correct sentence: you cannot submit because the deadline has passed. But if the clock is the reason you failed, 'không kịp' says it more directly: 'Tôi nộp hồ sơ không kịp' (I did not make it in time).

  • Confusing 'kịp' (in time) with 'nhanh' (fast).

    Bạn phải chạy kịp lên!
    Bạn phải chạy nhanh lên cho kịp!

    Speed and timeliness are distinct concepts in Vietnamese. 'Nhanh' describes the speed of the action itself, while 'kịp' describes whether the action successfully meets the deadline.

How It Connects

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

Verb + kịpLevel 4Make It in Time

Learn This First

The pattern 'Verb + kịp' is a resultative construction where 'kịp' (to be in time) acts as a complement to the main verb. To understand it, learners should already be familiar with how Vietnamese uses resultative complements like 'được' or 'thấy' to indicate the outcome of an action, as well as how to negate these results using 'không' or 'chưa'.

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kịp