về
[ve˨˩]
In Vietnamese, the English word "about" is translated as về when used as a preposition concerning a topic.
It is commonly used after verbs of thinking, dreaming or speaking to indicate the subject matter.
Meaning: concerning (prep)
Which one should you use?
Use về when "about" means "concerning" or "regarding" a topic, but use khoảng when "about" means "approximately" regarding a quantity. Related words for "nearly, approximately" include khoảng, chừng or cỡ.
Related words
Did you know?
- The preposition về began as a verb meaning 'to return'. This is why the same word is used both to say 'about' a topic and 'to return' home.
- In Vietnamese, the concept of 'about' can be expressed by words that literally translate to 'according to' or 'following', such as theo.
Examples in context
- Về cái gì cơ?About what?This example shows how to ask for clarification on a topic using về.Tatoeba #13339797 by leucammieuvu, translation #434158 by lukaszpp
- Hãy nghĩ về nó.Think about it.This example demonstrates the use of về after a verb of thinking.Tatoeba #12069738 by mqd, translation #241003 by CK
- Tôi đã mơ về bạnI dreamt about you.This example shows how to use về after a verb of dreaming.Tatoeba #12562847 by thanhcona40, translation #2022 by Swift
- 203 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a new book.
- TuấnCuốn sách này nói về điều gì?What is this book about?
- MaiNó nói về một chuyến đi xa.It is about a long trip.
- TuấnTôi muốn biết thêm về nó.I want to know more about it.
- MaiĐể tôi kể cho Tuấn nghe nhé.Let me tell you about it, Tuan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “about” translations and entries về, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries về, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
