kia

That (Over There)

Level 1

Kia means 'that' or 'over there'. It points to a specific person, place, thing, or concept that is distant from both you and the person you are talking to.

How It Works

Vietnamese uses a three-way pointing system:

  • này / đây: Close to the speaker (this / here)
  • đó / đấy: Close to the listener, or just mentioned (that / there)
  • kia: Far from both (that over there)

Word Order:
The standard syntactic order places the demonstrative at the absolute end of the noun phrase:
[Classifier] + Noun + [Adjective] + [Possessive] + kia
Example: cái áo xanh của tôi kia (that blue shirt of mine). However, placing kia before the possessive (cái áo xanh kia của tôi) is also a common alternative.

Locations and Directions:
Kia is frequently paired with prepositions or directional nouns to indicate locations far from both speakers: ở kia (over there), đằng kia (in that direction), bên kia (the other side / across), or ngoài kia (out there).

Time Expressions:
Kia is used in time words to mean two units away from the present. The direction depends on the word: ngày kia moves into the future (the day after tomorrow), while hôm kia (the day before yesterday), tuần kia (the week before last), tháng kia (the month before last), and năm kia (the year before last) move into the past. Note that kia cannot be used for the future year; 'the year after next' is năm sau nữa. Also note a regional difference: in Southern Vietnam, 'the day after tomorrow' is ngày mốt, and ngày kia shifts to mean three days from now.

Plurality & Standalone Use:
To say 'those', add a plural marker like những: những người kia (those people). When referring to 'that one' as a standalone object, you must use a classifier: cái kia (that one). You can also use it as a pronoun to point out something (Kia là... = Over there is... / That is...).

Contrast and Contradiction:
Kia can also be used as a sentence-final particle to express contrast, contradiction, or emphasis when you want something different from what is expected or offered (e.g., Tôi muốn đi chơi kia! = I want to go out instead!). In spoken Vietnamese, this is frequently reduced to cơ (e.g., Tôi muốn đi chơi cơ!). You will also hear the common phrases kia mà or cơ mà used to remind someone or strongly contradict.

Note on 'kìa': You will often hear kìa (with a falling tone) used as an exclamation to draw attention ('Nhìn kìa!' = Look over there!). For extra emphasis when pointing something out, you can combine them as kia kìa (right over there!). It is also used systematically in time expressions to mean three units away: ngày kìa (three days from now) and hôm kìa (three days ago).

Examples (6)

  1. Ngôi nhà kia là của tôi.

    That house over there is mine.

    Word by Word: Classifier house over-there be belong-to me.

    Notice how 'kia' comes after the noun phrase 'ngôi nhà'.

  2. Cô gái kia là ai?

    Who is that girl over there?

    Word by Word: Classifier girl over-there be who?

    Used to ask about someone in the distance.

  3. Cái áo xanh của tôi kia bị rách.

    That blue shirt of mine over there is torn.

    Word by Word: Classifier shirt blue belong-to me over-there suffer torn.

    Demonstrates the standard syntactic word order: the demonstrative 'kia' sits at the absolute end of the noun phrase, after the possessive 'của tôi'.

  4. Hôm kia tôi đã đi siêu thị.

    I went to the supermarket the day before yesterday.

    Word by Word: Day-before-yesterday I already go supermarket.

    An example of 'kia' used in a time expression to mean two units away from the present into the past.

  5. Những quyển sách kia rất đắt.

    Those books over there are very expensive.

    Word by Word: Plural classifier book over-there very expensive.

    To say 'those', you must combine a plural marker (những) with 'kia'.

  6. Không, tôi muốn đi chơi kia!

    No, I want to go out instead!

    Word by Word: No, I want go play instead!

    Here, 'kia' acts as a sentence-final particle to express contrast or contradiction, emphasizing a preference different from what was expected.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting 'kia' before the noun, like the English word 'that'.

    Kia ngôi nhà rất đẹp.
    Ngôi nhà kia rất đẹp.

    In Vietnamese, modifiers follow the noun. Demonstratives like 'kia' come after the noun and its descriptive adjectives.

  • Thinking a classifier is always needed with 'kia'.

    Different MeaningNhà kia rất đẹp.
    Ngôi nhà kia rất đẹp.

    'Nhà kia rất đẹp' is correct and very common. Adding a classifier ('Ngôi nhà kia') points to one specific building more clearly, following the Pointing Frame.

  • Using 'kia' by itself as a direct object to mean 'that one'.

    Tôi muốn kia.
    Tôi muốn cái kia.

    When using 'kia' to mean 'that one' as a standalone object, you must pair it with a classifier like 'cái' (for things). 'Kia' by itself is generally used as a modifier or a location pronoun, not a direct object.

How It Connects

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kiaLevel 1That (Over There)

Learn This First

To use 'kia' (that over there), you need to understand the basic word order of Vietnamese noun phrases, specifically that demonstratives are placed at the end of the phrase following the noun and its classifier.

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Words in This Pattern

kiakia