How to Say "Useless" in Vietnamese

vô dụng

[vo˧˧ zʊwŋ͡m˧˨ʔ]

The English word "useless" is translated into Vietnamese as vô dụng.

vô dụng is used to describe something that is without use or the possibility of being used.

Meaning: without use or possibility to be used (adj)

What does it mean word for word?

The word is composed of the prefix vô (without/zero) and dụng (use/utility).

As an adjective, vô dụng can be preceded by thật (really/truly) to add emphasis, such as in thật vô dụng (truly useless).

While vô dụng means 'useless', Vietnamese speakers often use the phrase vô tích sự to describe a person who is useless or good-for-nothing in a more colloquial way.
The word vô in this phrase is a Sino-Vietnamese loan, but it is a homonym for a common Vietnamese word meaning 'to enter'.
The word dụng in vô dụng is a formal doublet of the more common Vietnamese word dùng, which also means 'to use'.

Nó đẹp nhưng vô dụng.
It's beautiful, but useless.
This sentence shows how to describe an object that is beautiful but lacks utility using vô dụng.
Tatoeba #13726651 by leucammieuvu, translation #13723895 by carlosalberto
Có phải tôi vô dụng không?
Am I useless?
This sentence uses vô dụng to ask a personal question about one's own usefulness.
Tatoeba #4657504 by xunglv, translation #4657445 by Lazovic
Đây là những đồ vật vô dụng.
These are useless objects.
This sentence uses vô dụng to describe a group of objects.
Tatoeba #11356261 by chaule3, translation #11356260 by chaule3
Chủ nghĩa xã hội không hữu dụng trong xã hội hiện đại.
Socialism is not useful in modern society.
Đây là sản phẩm vô dụng, chúng tôi không thể bán nó.
This is a useless product, we cannot sell it.
1 more sentence on Tatoeba

Minh and Mai are looking at a broken umbrella.

Sources

Wiktionary, “useless” translations and entries vô dụng, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries dụng, vô, vô dụng, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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