nhiều
[ɲiəw˨˩]
In Vietnamese, nhiều is the phrase for "a lot".
It functions both as an adjective to mean "many" or "much" and as an adverb to mean "a lot".
Meaning: very much (adv)
Which one should you use?
While nhiều means "a lot", you can add lắm after an adjective or verb to create the sense of "very much" or "so much" for added emphasis.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Sài Gòn, speakers may use the informal word nhìu instead of nhiều.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
nhiều is placed before a noun to mean "many" or "much", such as in "many pictures" (nhiều ảnh). It is placed after a verb to mean "a lot", such as in "eats a lot" (ăn nhiều). Unlike English, nhiều does not change its form based on whether the noun it modifies is countable or uncountable.
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese, you can express 'a lot' by repeating the word as nhiều nhiều, which often sounds more affectionate or playful.
- The word nhiều actually has roots in ancient Chinese, specifically the character 饒, but it evolved through a unique, non-Sino-Vietnamese path.
- In the South, the variation nhìu is used in texting and casual speech to mimic a cute or childish tone.
Examples in context
- Anh ấy ăn nhiều.He eats a lot.This sentence shows how to use nhiều after a verb to mean "a lot".Tatoeba #10669116 by quoctrong018, translation #291622 by CK
- Anh nhớ em nhiềuI miss you a lot.Tatoeba #10669789 by quoctrong018, translation #2793798 by CK
- Tôi có nhiều ảnh.I have a lot of pictures.This sentence shows how to use nhiều before a noun to mean "many".Tatoeba #523202 by autuno, translation #254924 by autuno
- Khu vườn này có rất nhiều hoa đẹp.This garden has a lot of beautiful flowers.
- Công việc này có quá nhiều khó khăn.This task has too many difficulties.
- Anh ấy đã uống quá nhiều rượu.He drank too much alcohol.
- Bữa nay tôi ăn nhiều lắm.I ate a lot today.
- Mình gặp nhau đã lâu rồi, nhớ bạn nhiều lắm.It's been a while since we met, I miss you a lot.
- 137 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chi and Nam are talking about a movie they just watched.
- ChiNam thấy bộ phim này thế nào?Nam, what did you think of this movie?
- NamTôi thích bộ phim này nhiều.I liked this movie a lot.
- ChiChi cũng vậy, nó rất cảm động.Chi does too, it was very touching.
- NamĐúng vậy, tôi cảm động nhiều lắm.That's true, I was moved a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “a lot” translations and entries nhiều, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nhiều, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
