đừng ... nữa

The structure is straightforward:

(Subject) + đừng + Verb / Adjective + (Object) + nữa

Because Vietnamese verbs never change form, you simply wrap the verb (or adjective) and its object with these two words. Here are the key nuances to understand:

• Stopping an ongoing action: đừng by itself means 'do not' (a general prohibition). Adding nữa (anymore) changes it to 'stop doing what you are currently doing'.
• Dropping the subject: In everyday speech, you will usually drop the subject pronoun and just start the sentence with Đừng, unless you want to be particularly stern or clarify who you are addressing.
• Using with adjectives: Because adjectives work like verbs in Vietnamese, you can use this pattern to mean 'Don't be [adjective] anymore' (e.g., Đừng buồn nữa - Stop being sad).
• The 'Stop' Trap: English speakers often confuse the main verb dừng (to halt/stop) with the auxiliary verb đừng (do not). While dừng can be used as a command on its own (Dừng lại! - Stop!), you should use đừng ... nữa as an auxiliary structure when telling someone to stop doing a specific action.
• Object Placement: If there is a direct object, it must go between the verb and nữa. For example, say Đừng xem tivi nữa (Stop watching TV), not Đừng xem nữa tivi.
• Who to address: Đừng is primarily used for giving commands or requests to others. However, you can use it with inclusive pronouns (e.g., Mình đừng cãi nhau nữa - Let's stop arguing) or in reflexive commands (e.g., Tôi tự nhủ đừng khóc nữa - I told myself to stop crying). To simply state 'I am not doing it anymore', use không ... nữa.
• Adding emphasis: To make the command more emphatic, colloquial, or slightly exasperated, you can add có after đừng, forming đừng có ... nữa (e.g., Đừng có chọc tôi nữa! - Stop teasing me!).
• Softening the command: Native speakers frequently add particles like nhé or nha at the end of the sentence to make the request less abrupt or harsh (e.g., Đừng giận nữa nhé - Don't be mad anymore, okay?).
• Using 'thôi': In spoken Vietnamese, you will often hear thôi used to mean 'stop'. It can be used on its own (Thôi đi!) or combined with this pattern (Thôi đừng khóc nữa).