thôi (dừng lại)

That's Enough

Level 2

When placed at the very beginning of a sentence, thôi acts as an emotional interjection meaning "stop," "that's enough," or "well."

How It Works

1. An Interjection and Discourse Marker
At the beginning of a sentence, thôi functions as an interjection meaning "stop" or "enough," or as a discourse marker meaning "well/alright" (indicating concession, acceptance, or a change of subject). Note that thôi can also function as a regular verb meaning "to quit" or "to cease" (e.g., thôi việc).

2. Emotional Nuance
Depending on your tone of voice and context, thôi can express:

  • Comfort: Urging someone to stop crying or worrying. Delivered with a soft, drawn-out tone (e.g., thôôôi mà), this translates very closely to the soothing English phrases "There, there" or "Come now."
  • Resignation or Transition: Saying "Well, alright then" or suggesting a change in activity.
  • Dismissal: Firmly telling someone to stop an annoying behavior, usually delivered with a sharp, abrupt tone.

3. Common Pairings
It is frequently paired with negative imperatives like đừng (don't) or không ... nữa (not anymore). Other common collocations include thôi đi (dismissal), thôi được or thôi thì (resignation), and the emphatic reduplication thôi thôi.

4. Note on Position
While this lesson focuses on the sentence-initial interjection, keep in mind that when placed at the end of a sentence, thôi has two other very common meanings: it can mean "only" or "just" (as in thôi, which is frequently paired with the pre-verbal adverb chỉ in the pattern chỉ ... thôi), or it can act as an exhortative particle urging an action, similar to "let's" (e.g., Đi thôi! - Let's go!).

Examples (4)

  1. Thôi, đừng khóc nữa.

    That's enough, stop crying.

    Word by Word: Stop, don't cry anymore.

    Used gently to comfort someone. Notice how it pairs with the negative imperative đừng.

  2. Thôi, muộn rồi. Đi ngủ đi.

    Well, it's late. Go to sleep.

    Word by Word: Well, late already. Go sleep go.

    Used to wrap up the current situation and suggest a transition to a new activity.

  3. Thôi nha! Tao bực mình rồi đó.

    Stop it! I'm annoyed now.

    Word by Word: Stop particle! I annoyed already particle.

    A firm dismissal used when someone is doing something irritating. The particle 'nha' softens it slightly but the tone remains firm.

  4. Thôi, thế cũng được.

    Well, I guess that's fine too.

    Word by Word: Well, like that also okay.

    Expressing concession or resignation to a situation, similar to 'oh well' in English.

Common Mistakes

  • Using physical verbs like 'dừng' or 'ngừng' as a standalone interjection to tell someone to stop an annoying behavior.

    Ngừng! Đừng làm ồn nữa.
    Thôi! Đừng làm ồn nữa.

    Dừng and ngừng are verbs for physical cessation (like a car stopping or rain stopping). Shouting 'Ngừng!' sounds unnatural, like commanding a machine to power down. Use thôi to manage people's behavior and emotions.

  • Putting 'thôi' at the end of the sentence when you mean 'stop'.

    Đừng khóc nữa thôi.
    Thôi, đừng khóc nữa.

    When you want to say 'stop' or 'enough' as an interjection, thôi usually goes at the beginning. At the end of a sentence, thôi often means 'only' or 'just', though it can also express resignation. Avoid treating its position as an absolute rule, but remember its primary role as an interjection is at the start.

How It Connects

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

thôi (dừng lại)Level 2That's Enough

Learn This First

To use 'thôi' as a way to halt an action, learners should first understand basic imperative structures like 'đừng' (don't) and the use of 'nữa' (anymore), as these frequently appear together to create natural commands.

Words in This Pattern