để cho

So That

Level 4

Use để cho to connect an action to its intended outcome, specifically when you are enabling someone else to do something, or allowing a certain state to happen.

How It Works

In Vietnamese, để cho is a highly common and natural way to express 'so that', 'in order to let', or simply 'to let/allow'.

Here is how to use it correctly:

Transferring benefit or action: A major use of để cho is when the main action enables someone or something else to do something (e.g., Tôi nói to để cho mọi người nghe rõ. - I speak loudly so that everyone can hear clearly). Adding cho explicitly highlights who receives the outcome.
Emphasizing a resulting state: When used with an adjective or state verb (e.g., ăn để cho khỏe - eat to get healthy), the cho acts as a resultative marker. It adds a colloquial, outcome-focused tone emphasizing a desired state or personal benefit, rather than just an empathetic tone.
Emphasizing completion (same subject): It is common to use để cho even when the subject remains the same, but only when followed by a state adjective (like khỏe, chắc) or specific completion idioms to emphasize a final result (e.g., Tôi làm thế để cho xong chuyện. - I did that just to get it over with). Other common idiomatic phrases include để cho biết (just to know), để cho nhớ (so I remember), and để cho chắc (just to be sure). Crucially, do not use để cho before a regular action verb if there is no recipient or resulting state.
Literal meaning (to leave for): Physically, it means 'to leave [something] for [someone]' (e.g., Tôi để cho bạn một phần. - I left a portion for you).
As a main verb (to let/allow): để cho can function as a standard main verb phrase meaning 'to let, allow, or permit' (e.g., Mẹ để cho tôi tự chọn quần áo. - Mom lets me choose my own clothes). It is also extremely common in commands (e.g., Cứ để cho nó làm! - Just let him do it!).
Adverse allowance: It is frequently used in passive or negative contexts where someone carelessly 'allows' something bad to happen to them (e.g., Sao lại để cho người ta lừa? - Why did you let people trick you?).
Negative commands: It is extremely common to use đừng with this pattern to mean 'don't let' (e.g., Đừng để cho sự tức giận kiểm soát bạn. - Don't let anger control you).
Offering help: It is often used at the beginning of a sentence to volunteer (e.g., Để (cho) tôi làm việc này. - Let me do this.).
How to ensure that: The highly common structural pattern Làm sao để cho... or Làm thế nào để cho... + [clause] translates to 'How to make [someone/something] do [something]' or 'How to ensure that...' (e.g., Làm sao để cho mọi việc suôn sẻ? - How to ensure that everything goes smoothly?).

Note on Negation: For negative purpose, if the subject changes, you can use không (e.g., Tôi nói nhỏ để cho nó không nghe thấy.). If the subject is the same, you can use để không or để không bị (e.g., Tôi đi chậm để không ngã. - I walk slowly so as not to fall), as well as để khỏi or để cho khỏi.

Examples (5)

Tôi nói to để cho mọi người nghe rõ.
I speak loudly so that everyone can hear clearly.
Word by Word: I speak loud in order to let every person hear clear.
The subject changes from 'Tôi' (I) to 'mọi người' (everyone). The action of speaking loudly enables others to hear.
Mở cửa sổ ra để cho không khí trong lành vào.
Open the window to let the fresh air in.
Word by Word: Open window out in order to let air fresh enter.
The action (opening the window) allows something else (the fresh air) to perform an action (entering).
Ăn nhiều vào để cho khỏe!
Eat a lot so you'll get healthy!
Word by Word: Eat much in in order to let healthy!
Here the subject doesn't change, but 'để cho' is used with an adjective ('khỏe') to emphasize the resulting state with a warm, caring tone.
Để cho tôi yên!
Leave me alone! / Let me be in peace!
Word by Word: Let for me peaceful!
Here, 'để cho' functions as a main verb meaning 'to let' or 'allow'. It can be used anywhere in a sentence to express permission or yielding, not just as a command at the beginning.
Anh ấy giải thích lại để cho tôi hiểu.
He explained it again so that I would understand.
Word by Word: He explain again in order to let me understand.
The benefit of the action (explaining) is transferred to a new subject (me) so that a result (understanding) can occur.

Common Mistakes

Using 'để cho' with same-subject action verbs.
Tôi học tiếng Việt để cho làm việc ở Việt Nam.
Tôi học tiếng Việt để làm việc ở Việt Nam.
Because English speakers translate 'để cho' as 'so that', they often overapply it. Generally, if the subject doesn't change and the verb is an action, you should use 'để', not 'để cho', unless using the common idiomatic exception 'để cho biết' (just to know).
Confusing purpose with cause.
Tôi đi ngủ sớm để cho tôi mệt.
Tôi đi ngủ sớm vì tôi mệt.
Learners sometimes confuse forward-looking goals ('so that') with backward-looking reasons ('because'). Use vì for reasons, and 'để cho' for intended goals.
Confusing 'để cho' (to let/allow) with 'làm cho' (to make/cause).
Câu chuyện đó để cho tôi buồn.
Câu chuyện đó làm cho tôi buồn.
Learners often confuse để cho (to let or allow something to happen) with làm cho (to make or cause something to happen). For example, 'để cho đèn sáng' means leaving the light on (allowing it to shine), while 'làm cho đèn sáng' means turning it on (causing it to shine). Use 'làm cho' when an action forces a result.

How It Connects

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

để choLevel 4So That

Learn This First

To understand 'để cho' (so that/letting someone), a learner needs to be familiar with the various roles of 'cho'. It functions as a verb meaning 'to give', a preposition meaning 'for', and a causative marker meaning 'to let'. 'Để cho' combines the purpose marker 'để' with these causative and benefactive functions of 'cho' to express an action performed specifically so that another person can experience a result.

Learn Next

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