là
[laː˨˩]
The English phrase 'am' is translated to Vietnamese as là.
Meaning: before noon (adv)
Did you know?
- The Vietnamese word là is a doublet of the common verb làm, which means 'to do' or 'to work'.
- Despite its fundamental role, là is a relatively recent addition to the written Vietnamese record, appearing in texts from the early 19th century.
- While English speakers must use 'am', 'is' or 'are' to be grammatically correct, Vietnamese speakers often leave là out entirely when using adjectives.
Examples in context
- Tôi là vợ tôi.I am my wife.Tatoeba #13565086 by leucammieuvu, translation #13565084 by leucammieuvu
- Tôi đang làm gì?What am I doing?Tatoeba #13896314 by leucammieuvu, translation #3738033 by CK
- Tôi là con người.I am a human being.Tatoeba #9739357 by dotheduyet1999, translation #2297306 by Hybrid
- Đã rõClear or understood
- ỜUh-huh or yeah
- Vậy àIs that so? or I get it
- Đúng rồiThat's right
- 45 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry là, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries là, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
