sau
[saw˧˧]
In Vietnamese, the word for later is sau.
The word sau is used to indicate something happening afterward in time.
Meaning: afterward in time (adv)
Which one should you use?
Depending on the context, sau can mean 'later' (in time) or 'behind/after' (in space). If you want to be more specific about a short period of time in the near future, such as 'in a little bit' or 'in a moment', you should use lát nữa instead. Additionally, when you are using the phrase as a conjunction to connect two events meaning 'after that' or 'afterward', the phrase sau đó is more common than using sau alone.
Did you know?
- The word sau shares an ancient linguistic root with the Mon-Khmer word *krawʔ, making it a distant relative of words found in the Mon language.
- The word sau is used in the term sau cùng, which means 'last' or 'final', rather than just 'later'.
Examples in context
- Tôi sẽ trả lại sau.I will return later.This sentence shows how to express returning something later using sau.Tatoeba #13954904 by leucammieuvu, translation #13954054 by glossboss
- Vui lòng thử lại sau.Please try again later.This sentence demonstrates the use of sau for trying something again later.Tatoeba #4786053 by tucm, translation #3823143 by CK
- Tôi sẽ đi lấy nó sau.I'll come to pick it up later.This sentence uses sau to describe coming to pick something up at a later time.Tatoeba #8994238 by dotheduyet1999, translation #240130 by CK
- Tôi đi làm việc, sau đó đi mua sắmI'll go to work and then go shopping
- Thứ Hai đi công tác, mấy hôm sau mới trở vềI'm going on a business trip on Monday, I'll be back in a few days
- Tôi sẽ làm việc đó vào buổi chiềuI'll do that in the afternoon
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mai and Nam are discussing when to do the dishes.
- MaiNam, hãy rửa bát bây giờ đi.Nam, please wash the dishes now.
- NamTôi bận quá, tôi sẽ làm sau.I am too busy, I will do it later.
- MaiNhưng bếp bẩn quá rồi.But the kitchen is too dirty already.
- NamMột chút nữa tôi sẽ dọn sau.I will clean up later in a bit.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “later” translations and entries sau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
