lỡ ... thì ...

What if It Goes Wrong

Level 4

Expressing 'what if' or 'in case' for things that might go wrong.

How It Works

Structure:
(Nếu) lỡ (như / mà / đâu) + [Event] + thì + [Consequence / "sao?"]

Key Nuances:

  • Combining with nếu: Lỡ is very frequently combined with nếu to form nếu lỡ or nếu lỡ như (if by chance / if it just so happens that). This emphasizes the hypothetical nature of the event.
  • Negative vs. Positive Events: It usually frames a contingency plan or expresses anxiety about a negative outcome. However, when used with positive events (like winning the lottery), lỡ highlights the unexpected, low-probability nature of the event, meaning 'by some unexpected lucky chance' or 'against the odds' (e.g., Mua vé số đi, lỡ trúng thì sao?).
  • Asking "Then what?": It is very commonly paired with sao at the end of the sentence (thì sao?) to ask "What if [X happens], then what do we do?"
  • Lỡ đâu / Nhỡ đâu: The phrases lỡ đâu (Standard/South) and nhỡ đâu (North) are highly common as standalone phrases or sentence starters meaning 'What if...' or 'By some chance...'.
  • Register and Tone: Lỡ and its variants are primarily used in everyday, colloquial spoken Vietnamese. Formal written text prefers phrases like phòng khi or trong trường hợp.
  • Regional Variants: Lỡ is standard and used universally across Vietnam. In Northern speech, you will also frequently hear the variants nhỡ or ngộ nhỡ used with the exact same meaning.

Important Distinction:
Do not confuse this conjunction with the verb lỡ, which means 'to miss' (e.g., lỡ chuyến bay - to miss a flight) or 'to accidentally do something' (e.g., lỡ tay - to slip up / do by accident, lỡ lời / lỡ miệng - to accidentally say something / slip of the tongue). Also note the idiom quá lứa lỡ thì (past one's prime), where lỡ and thì appear together but do not form this grammar pattern.

Examples (4)

  1. Lỡ tôi quên mang theo chìa khóa thì sao?

    What if I forget to bring my keys, then what?

    Word by Word: In case I forget bring along key then how?

    A classic 'what if' question expressing a worry, ending with 'thì sao?' (then what?).

  2. Lỡ như trời mưa thì chúng ta học online.

    In case it rains, we will study online.

    Word by Word: In case like sky rain then we study online.

    Adding 'như' (lỡ như) is very common and slightly softens the hypothetical. Here it establishes a backup plan.

  3. Chúng ta phải tiết kiệm, lỡ bị thất nghiệp thì vẫn còn tiền tiêu.

    We have to save; in case we get unemployed, we still have money to spend.

    Word by Word: We must save, in case suffer unemployment then still remain money spend.

    Demonstrates using the pattern to prepare for a severe negative contingency.

  4. Lỡ anh ấy không đến thì mình đi một mình.

    If by chance he doesn't show up, I'll go alone.

    Word by Word: In case he not arrive then I go one self.

    Expressing a backup plan for an undesirable situation.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'lỡ' for highly probable or expected conditions.

    Lỡ ngày mai là thứ Hai thì tôi phải đi làm.
    Nếu ngày mai là thứ Hai thì tôi phải đi làm.

    Lỡ means "what if" or "if by chance" and is reserved for unexpected, low-probability events, or contingencies. For normal, expected conditions, you should use nếu ... thì ....

  • Using the copula 'là' instead of 'thì' to connect the clauses.

    Different MeaningLỡ như trời mưa là chúng ta nghỉ.
    Lỡ như trời mưa thì chúng ta nghỉ.

    The consequence clause is normally introduced by thì (then) or a simple comma. In casual speech people also link the clauses with là (as in 'Mưa là nghỉ'), but with the 'lỡ ... thì ...' pattern, thì is the standard link to learn.

How It Connects

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

lỡ ... thì ...Level 4What if It Goes Wrong

Learn This First

To understand 'lỡ ... thì ...', you first need to be comfortable with the basic Vietnamese conditional structure 'nếu ... thì ...' (if... then...). The word 'lỡ' replaces 'nếu' to specifically signal that the condition is an accidental or unwelcome 'what if' scenario. Familiarity with the adverse marker 'bị' is also helpful as these patterns often appear together when discussing negative outcomes.

Words in This Pattern

nhỡ