còn (vẫn còn)

Because còn is highly polysemous (has multiple meanings), it serves six distinct grammatical functions depending on the broader sentence structure and context:

• 1. As a Full Verb (To have left / To remain): Often placed before a noun to inventory what hasn't been consumed or lost, but it can also stand alone intransitively (e.g., Tiền thì còn = The money remains). It is also highly common with time to mean 'time left until' (e.g., Còn 5 phút nữa = 5 minutes left; Còn 2 ngày nữa là đến Tết = 2 days left until Tet). Its direct antonym is hết (to be out of). When answering a yes/no question like Còn tiền không?, the most natural negative short answer is simply Hết rồi (All gone / Run out), rather than a full không còn sentence. It is frequently used in the collocation chỉ còn (only have [X] left). It is also used in the euphemism for death không còn (nữa) (passed away). The compound còn lại is also very commonly used to explicitly mean 'to remain' or 'to be left over'. It is also the core of the highly frequent conversational idiom Còn lâu! (meaning 'Not anytime soon!' or 'No way!').
  Example: còn tiền (to have money left).
• 2. As an Adverb (Still): Placed before a verb or adjective. It emphasizes that a state is remaining or has not yet ended. It frequently stacks with In Progress or Still to form còn đang or vẫn còn. Stacking it with vẫn strongly emphasizes that a state persists despite expectations to the contrary or the passage of time.
• 3. As a Conjunction (As for / Whereas / What about): Placed at the beginning of a new clause or right before a noun phrase acting as the new topic. It is used to switch subjects or contrast information, often paired with thì in the structure Còn + [Topic B] + thì + [Comment]. It is also extremely common in reciprocal questions like Còn bạn? (And you? / What about you?) (e.g., Tôi khỏe. Còn bạn?). Warning: Outside of specific correlative structures (see Point 6), do not use còn as a simple additive 'and' to connect sequential verbs or identical subjects (which requires And). In this standalone conjunction role, it strictly means 'as for' or 'whereas'.
• 4. Meaning 'More / Else': Used in open-ended questions and declarative statements, often with nữa, to indicate what else remains (e.g., Còn gì nữa không? or Tôi còn một câu hỏi nữa). When combined with không, it forms không còn ... nữa (not anymore / no longer), which is the negative counterpart indicating a state has ended (e.g., Tôi không còn tiền nữa = I don't have money anymore).
• 5. As an Intensifier in Comparisons (Even more): Placed before an adjective in a comparison to mean 'even more' (e.g., còn đắt hơn). This meaning requires the presence of More / -er or nữa. Without it, còn + adjective defaults to Function 2, meaning 'is still [adjective]'.
• 6. As an Additive (Also / Moreover): Used in structures like Not Only ... But Also ... or lại còn (moreover / on top of that) to add supplementary information.

Important Distinction: Do not confuse còn with Still. While both translate to 'still', vẫn is the true neutral marker for an unchanged state or habit, whereas còn specifically emphasizes that a state is remaining or has not yet ended/run out.

Dialectal Note: Southern speakers lean heavily toward còn for 'still' in casual contexts, whereas Northern speakers use vẫn and vẫn còn more frequently, and often explicitly say còn lại for 'remaining'.