Demonstratives in Vietnamese

Overview

Vietnamese demonstratives distinguish three levels of distance: "này" (this/here -- close), "đó/ấy" (that/there -- medium distance), and "kia" (that over there -- far). Unlike English, which has only two levels (this/that), Vietnamese provides a three-way distinction that adds spatial precision.

At the CEFR A1 level, demonstratives are essential for pointing things out, referring to specific items, and orienting conversation in space and time. They follow the noun in noun phrases (unlike English, where they precede), and they require a classifier when used with nouns.

The spatial demonstratives also extend to temporal use: "hôm này" (this day/today), "hôm đó" (that day), and to discourse reference: "Cái đó" (that thing we were discussing).

How It Works

Demonstrative	Meaning	Distance
này	this/these (here)	close to speaker
đó/ấy	that/those (there)	medium distance
kia	that/those (over there)	far from both speaker and listener
đây	here (location)	close to speaker
đấy/đó	there (location)	medium distance

Noun phrases: Classifier + Noun + Demonstrative

Vietnamese	English
cái bàn này	this table
con mèo đó	that cat
người kia	that person (over there)

Standalone use:

Vietnamese	English
Đây là...	This is...
Đó là...	That is...
Cái này	this one
Cái đó	that one

Examples in Context

Vietnamese	English	Note
Cái bàn này.	This table.	classifier + noun + này
Người đó là ai?	Who is that person?	đó = medium distance
Ở đây.	Here.	đây = here (location)
Hôm đó trời mưa.	That day it rained.	temporal use
Đây là nhà tôi.	This is my house.	đây as subject
Cái kia là gì?	What is that (over there)?	kia = far
Lúc này tôi bận.	Right now I'm busy.	này = current time
Quyển sách ấy hay lắm.	That book is very good.	ấy = that (medium)
Chỗ này có tốt không?	Is this place good?	này with location
Những người đó là bạn tôi.	Those people are my friends.	plural demonstrative

Common Mistakes

Placing Demonstratives Before the Noun

• Wrong: này bàn (this table)
• Right: cái bàn này
• Why: Vietnamese demonstratives follow the noun, not precede it as in English.

Omitting the Classifier

• Wrong: bàn này (acceptable casually but incomplete)
• Right: cái bàn này
• Why: Standard Vietnamese requires a classifier between the demonstrative phrase structure.

Confusing Đây/Đó (Location) with Này/Đó (Modifier)

• Wrong: Đây bàn (here table)
• Right: Cái bàn này (this table) or Đây là cái bàn (This is a table)
• Why: "Đây" and "đó" as standalone words refer to locations/subjects, while "này" and "đó" modify nouns.

Usage Notes

In casual speech, "ấy" and "đó" are largely interchangeable for medium distance, though "ấy" is slightly more common in Northern speech following nouns. "Đó" can also function as a standalone pronoun or location word, while "ấy" primarily modifies nouns.

Practice Tips

• Point to objects around you and practice the three-distance system: "cái này" (this one near me), "cái đó" (that one near you), "cái kia" (that one far away). Physical pointing reinforces the spatial distinctions.
• Practice both spatial and temporal uses: "hôm này" (today), "tuần này" (this week), "lần đó" (that time). Demonstratives in time expressions follow the same pattern.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Classifiers — classifiers are required in demonstrative noun phrases