What does "to" mean in Vietnamese?
For the autodidact student: the little word "to" is one of the commonest in English, and it does very different jobs. It stands in front of a verb ("I want to eat", "I need to go"). It says what something is for ("I go to the market to buy vegetables"). It also points at a place ("I go to the market") and at a person who receives ("I buy a gift to/for you"). The list of vocabulary that this course follows gives "to" as an infinitive marker, used with verbs, and that is the job this lesson teaches.
Vietnamese has no infinitive marker. A verb does not change its form and does not need a small word in front of it to turn it into "to eat": it is simply ăn. After a verb such as "want" or "need", the second verb follows directly: Tôi muốn ăn (12.1) is literally "I want eat". The one word that dictionaries give for the other English "to", the one that means "in order to", is để (hỏi tone, dipping). So this lesson teaches both halves: where Vietnamese uses nothing for "to", and where it uses để.
Five things differ from English:
1. After muốn, cần, thích, định, biết, phải, có thể the second verb stands alone. Bạn cần đi (12.2), Tôi thích đọc sách (12.3). Do not put để here: ~~Tôi muốn để ăn~~ is wrong. 2. Để means "in order to" and joins an action to its aim. Tôi đi chợ để mua rau (12.7): "I go to the market (in order) to buy vegetables." Where English may leave out "in order", Vietnamese uses để just the same. 3. Để also follows a noun to say what it is for. Nhà để ở (12.4) is "a house to live in", Có gì để ăn không? (12.8) is "Is there anything to eat?", Tôi không có gì để nói (12.10) is "I have nothing to say". 4. Để is also a full verb: "to put, to leave, to let". để hai con cá vào túi (12.23) is "put two fish into the bag", and Để tôi hỏi giá (12.20) is "Let me ask the price". The dictionaries list this verb and the "in order to" word as two senses of one spelling. 5. "To" of direction and of the receiver is not để. "I go to the market" is Tôi đi chợ (12.7), with no word for "to" at all, and "a gift to/for you" takes cho (Section D, rule 8).
The word in the dictionaries. English Wiktionary lists để both as a verb (to place or set something; to leave; to let or allow) and as a conjunction (1. "in order to", "so that"; 2. introducing an unwelcome result that follows naturally), with the example Tiết kiệm để có tiền mua nhà "Save money in order to buy a house" (12.12). The Vietnamese-language Wiktionary lists the conjunction with the senses of purpose and use, with Nhà để ở (12.4) and Có đủ điều kiện để làm việc (12.13) as examples, and gives đặng as a synonym. The step from "set, put" to "put as an aim" is easy to see, but that is this lesson's reading and not a dictionary's claim.
Orthography. Để is đ + ê, with the hỏi tone mark (the hook) above the ê. The crossed đ is a different letter from d: để is not dể. The same letters with other tones are other words: đê (dike), đề (title, topic), đế (sole, base; emperor), đẻ (to give birth, of animals). Tone is part of the spelling.
Frequently asked.
What does "để" mean in Vietnamese? As a conjunction it means "in order to" or "so that", and as a verb "to put", "to leave" or "to let".
How do I say "I want to eat"? Tôi muốn ăn. (12.1) There is no word for "to".
How do I say "in order to"? Để, followed by the verb: Tôi viết ra để không quên. (12.9)
- Vietnamese has no infinitive marker: the verb stands alone, and after muốn, cần, thích, định, biết, phải, có thể it follows directly: Tôi muốn ăn. (12.1), Bạn cần đi. (12.2). Do not say ~~Tôi muốn để ăn~~ - để + verb = "in order to": Tôi đi chợ để mua rau. (12.7); negative để không (12.9) and để khỏi "so as to avoid" (Section D, rule 3) - noun + để + verb = "to" of use: Nhà để ở. (12.4), Có gì để ăn không? (12.8), Cái này để làm gì? (12.25), dùng để "used for" (12.26) - Để is also a verb: "put" (để hai con cá vào túi, 12.23) and "let" (Để tôi hỏi giá, 12.20) - "To" of direction is not để: Tôi đi chợ (12.7). "To/for" a person is cho.
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The IPA in this lesson is a broad transcription of the Hanoi standard, with the tone written in Chao tone letters after each syllable, as in the earlier lessons. The six tones, in Hanoi values:
- Level, no mark: ma /maː˧˧/ "ghost" - Falling, grave accent: mà /maː˨˩/ "but" - Rising, acute accent: má /maː˧˦/ "mother (Southern); cheek" - Dipping, hook above: mả /maː˧˩/ "grave, tomb" - Broken rising, tilde: mã /maː˧˥/ "horse (Sino-Vietnamese)", with a glottal break in the middle of the vowel - Heavy, dot below: mạ /maː˧˨ʔ/ "rice seedling", short, low, ending in a glottal catch
Key words for this lesson:
- để /ʔɗe˧˩/ — đ is an implosive [ʔɗ], a "d" said with the throat drawn down, and not the English "d". The vowel ê is a closed [e], like the vowel of French été without the glide of English "day". The hỏi tone dips. English Wiktionary records the Saigon pronunciation as [ʔɗej˨˩˦]: the same word, with a glide at the end and a dip that rises again. - muốn /muən˧˦/ — the vowel uô glides from [u] to [ə]. The acute tone rises. The mark goes on the ô. - cần /kən˨˩/ — the vowel â is a short [ə]. The grave tone falls. - thích /tʰik˧˦/ — th is an aspirated [tʰ], a "t" with a puff of air, and not the English "th". The final -ch is a [k]-like stop in Hanoi. - đọc /ʔɗawk͡p˧˨ʔ/ — o before c is spoken [aw], and the lips close at the end, as in học. The tone is nặng: short, low and glottal. - ở /ʔəː˧˩/ — the vowel ơ is a long [əː], like the vowel of British "bird" without the "r". The tone dips. - chợ /t͡ɕəː˧˨ʔ/ — ch is [t͡ɕ]. The nặng tone is short and low. - rau, ra, rõ — r is [z] in the Hanoi standard (/zaw˧˧/, /zaː˧˧/, /zɔ˧˥/), the same sound as d and gi. In the South it is a trilled or tapped [r]. - giá /zaː˧˦/ and dạy /zaj˧˨ʔ/ — gi and d are [z] in Hanoi. - chuyện /t͡ɕwiən˧˨ʔ/ — uyê glides from [w] through [i] to [ə]. The mark goes on the ê. - khỏi /xɔj˧˩/, khó /xɔ˧˦/, khăn /xan˧˧/, khắc /xak˧˦/ — kh is [x], like the "ch" of Scottish "loch". - dùng /zuŋ͡m˨˩/ and đựng /ʔɗɨŋ˧˨ʔ/ — ng is [ŋ]. After u the lips close at the end ([ŋ͡m]), and after ư they do not. Compare dùng with đựng: u is rounded and ư is spread. - ngủ /ŋu˧˩/ — ng at the beginning of a word is [ŋ], the sound at the end of "sing". - quên /kwen˧˧/ — qu is [kw]. - sống /səwŋ͡m˧˦/ — the vowel is written ô and spoken [əw] before ng, and the lips close at the end, as in không. - trứng /t͡ɕɨŋ˧˦/ — tr is [t͡ɕ] in Hanoi, and ư is [ɨ].
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12.1a Tôi I muốn want ăn eat
12.1b Tôi /toj˧˧/ 1SG muốn /muən˧˦/ want ăn /ʔan˧˧/ eat
12.2a Bạn you cần need đi go
12.2b Bạn /ʔɓaːn˧˨ʔ/ 2SG cần /kən˨˩/ need đi /ʔɗi˧˧/ go
12.3a Tôi I thích like đọc read sách book
12.3b Tôi /toj˧˧/ 1SG thích /tʰik˧˦/ like đọc /ʔɗawk͡p˧˨ʔ/ read sách /sajk˧˦/ book
12.4a Nhà house để for ở live-in
12.4b Nhà /ɲaː˨˩/ house để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP ở /ʔəː˧˩/ live.in
12.5a Để let nó it ngủ sleep đi (urging)
12.5b Để /ʔɗe˧˩/ let nó /nɔ˧˦/ 3SG.FAM ngủ /ŋu˧˩/ sleep đi /ʔɗi˧˧/ PRT.IMP
12.6a Tôi I học study tiếng language Việt Vietnam để in-order-to nói speak- chuyện -story với with bạn you
12.6b Tôi /toj˧˧/ 1SG học /hawk͡p˧˨ʔ/ study tiếng /tiəŋ˧˦/ language Việt /viət˧˨ʔ/ Vietnam để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP nói /nɔj˧˦/ speak(1) chuyện /t͡ɕwiən˧˨ʔ/ talk(2) với /vəːj˧˦/ with bạn /ʔɓaːn˧˨ʔ/ 2SG
12.7a Tôi I đi go chợ market để in-order-to mua buy rau vegetables
12.7b Tôi /toj˧˧/ 1SG đi /ʔɗi˧˧/ go chợ /t͡ɕəː˧˨ʔ/ market để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP mua /muə˧˧/ buy rau /zaw˧˧/ vegetables
12.8a Có there-is gì what để for ăn eat không or-not
12.8b Có /kɔ˧˦/ EXIST gì /zi˨˩/ what.INDEF để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP ăn /ʔan˧˧/ eat không /xəwŋ͡m˧˧/ Q.NEG
12.9a Tôi I viết write ra out để in-order-to không not quên forget
12.9b Tôi /toj˧˧/ 1SG viết /viət˧˦/ write ra /zaː˧˧/ out để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP không /xəwŋ͡m˧˧/ NEG quên /kwen˧˧/ forget
12.10a Tôi I không not có have gì what để for nói say
12.10b Tôi /toj˧˧/ 1SG không /xəwŋ͡m˧˧/ NEG có /kɔ˧˦/ have gì /zi˨˩/ what.INDEF để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP nói /nɔj˧˦/ say/speak
12.11a Tôi I học study tiếng language Anh England để in-order-to đi go du roam học study
12.11b Tôi /toj˧˧/ 1SG học /hawk͡p˧˨ʔ/ study tiếng /tiəŋ˧˦/ language Anh /ʔajŋ˧˧/ England để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP đi /ʔɗi˧˧/ go du /zu˧˧/ roam học /hawk͡p˧˨ʔ/ study
12.12a Tiết thrift- kiệm -thrift để in-order-to có have tiền money mua buy nhà house
12.12b Tiết /tiət˧˦/ economise(1) kiệm /kiəm˧˨ʔ/ economise(2) để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP có /kɔ˧˦/ have tiền /tiən˨˩/ money mua /muə˧˧/ buy nhà /ɲaː˨˩/ house
12.13a Có have đủ enough điều condition- kiện -condition để in-order-to làm do việc work
12.13b Có /kɔ˧˦/ have đủ /ʔɗu˧˩/ enough điều /ʔɗiəw˨˩/ condition(1) kiện /kiən˧˨ʔ/ condition(2) để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP làm /laːm˨˩/ do việc /viək˧˨ʔ/ work/task
12.14a Nói say rõ clear khó difficult- khăn -difficult để in-order-to cùng together nhau each-other khắc overcome- phục -overcome
12.14b Nói /nɔj˧˦/ say rõ /zɔ˧˥/ clearly khó /xɔ˧˦/ difficult(1) khăn /xan˧˧/ difficult(2) để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP cùng /kuŋ͡m˨˩/ together nhau /ɲaw˧˧/ each.other khắc /xak˧˦/ overcome(1) phục /fuk͡p˧˨ʔ/ overcome(2)
12.15a Nếu if bạn you muốn want nói speak tiếng language Việt, Vietnam bạn you cần need học study mỗi each ngày day để in-order-to nhớ remember từ word mới new
12.15b Nếu /new˧˦/ if.COND bạn /ʔɓaːn˧˨ʔ/ 2SG muốn /muən˧˦/ want nói /nɔj˧˦/ speak tiếng /tiəŋ˧˦/ language Việt /viət˧˨ʔ/ Vietnam bạn /ʔɓaːn˧˨ʔ/ 2SG cần /kən˨˩/ need học /hawk͡p˧˨ʔ/ study mỗi /moj˧˥/ every.DISTR ngày /ŋaj˨˩/ day để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP nhớ /ɲəː˧˦/ remember từ /tɨ˨˩/ word mới /məːj˧˦/ new
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Provenance. 12.4, 12.11, 12.12, 12.13 and 12.14 are the examples of dictionaries and a grammar page, used unchanged (12.4 and 12.13 from the Vietnamese Wiktionary entry for để, 12.12 from the English Wiktionary entry, 12.11 from the flexiclasses page on the purpose of an action, 12.14 from the Vietnamese Wiktionary entry). 12.5 is taken from an example on the SVFF grammar page for để ("Nó mệt rồi. Để nó ngủ đi.") with the first sentence left out. 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.6 to 12.10 and 12.15 are made for the lesson from verified words and patterns.
12.1 Tôi muốn ăn. → "I want to eat."
12.2 Bạn cần đi. → "You need to go."
12.3 Tôi thích đọc sách. → "I like to read." / "I like reading."
12.4 Nhà để ở. → "A house to live in." / "Houses are for living in."
12.5 Để nó ngủ đi. → "Let it sleep."
12.6 Tôi học tiếng Việt để nói chuyện với bạn. → "I study Vietnamese in order to talk with you."
12.7 Tôi đi chợ để mua rau. → "I go to the market to buy vegetables."
12.8 Có gì để ăn không? → "Is there anything to eat?"
12.9 Tôi viết ra để không quên. → "I write it down so as not to forget."
12.10 Tôi không có gì để nói. → "I have nothing to say."
12.11 Tôi học tiếng Anh để đi du học. → "I study English in order to study abroad."
12.12 Tiết kiệm để có tiền mua nhà. → "Save money in order to buy a house."
12.13 Có đủ điều kiện để làm việc. → "To have sufficient conditions to work." (a heading-style phrase, with no subject)
12.14 Nói rõ khó khăn để cùng nhau khắc phục. → "State the difficulties clearly, so as to overcome them together."
12.15 Nếu bạn muốn nói tiếng Việt, bạn cần học mỗi ngày để nhớ từ mới. → "If you want to speak Vietnamese, you need to study every day in order to remember new words."
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12.1 Tôi muốn ăn.
12.2 Bạn cần đi.
12.3 Tôi thích đọc sách.
12.4 Nhà để ở.
12.5 Để nó ngủ đi.
12.6 Tôi học tiếng Việt để nói chuyện với bạn.
12.7 Tôi đi chợ để mua rau.
12.8 Có gì để ăn không?
12.9 Tôi viết ra để không quên.
12.10 Tôi không có gì để nói.
12.11 Tôi học tiếng Anh để đi du học.
12.12 Tiết kiệm để có tiền mua nhà.
12.13 Có đủ điều kiện để làm việc.
12.14 Nói rõ khó khăn để cùng nhau khắc phục.
12.15 Nếu bạn muốn nói tiếng Việt, bạn cần học mỗi ngày để nhớ từ mới.
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These are the grammar rules for để in Vietnamese:
1. No infinitive: the second verb stands bare. English turns a verb into an infinitive with "to". Vietnamese does not change a verb at all, and so there is nothing to add. After a verb of wanting, needing, liking, intending, knowing how or having to, the second verb follows directly:
- muốn "want": Tôi muốn ăn. (12.1) - cần "need": Bạn cần đi. (12.2) - thích "like": Tôi thích đọc sách. (12.3) - định "intend": Tôi định học tiếng Việt. "I intend to study Vietnamese." - biết "know how": Tôi biết nói tiếng Việt. "I know how to speak Vietnamese." - phải "have to" (Lesson 11, rule 9): Tôi phải đi. "I have to go." - có thể "can" (Lesson 11, rule 8): Em có thể nói tiếng Anh. "You can speak English."
The sentence ~~Tôi muốn để ăn~~ is wrong, and so are ~~Bạn cần để đi~~ and ~~Tôi phải để đi~~. The reason is that Vietnamese verbs have no infinitive, gerund or participle form, and so the learner has nothing to translate "to" into.
2. Để = "in order to": action + để + aim. When the second verb tells why the first is done, để goes between them: Tôi đi chợ để mua rau. (12.7), Tôi học tiếng Việt để nói chuyện với bạn. (12.6), Tôi học tiếng Anh để đi du học. (12.11). If the doer is the same, the subject is not said again. If the doer is different, the second subject comes after để: Tôi nói chậm để bạn hiểu. "I speak slowly so that you understand." (chậm "slow", hiểu "understand"). In this case để is "so that" and not "to". Để is the plain, everyday word for purpose, and the learner is safe to use it wherever English has "in order to". A more formal word for an aim is nhằm "with the aim of", which this course has not yet taught.
3. Negative aim: để không, để khỏi. "So as not to …" is để không + verb: Tôi viết ra để không quên. (12.9). "So as to avoid …" is để khỏi + verb: Tôi đi sớm để khỏi muộn. "I leave early so as not to be late." (sớm "early", muộn "late"). The negative goes after để, and never before it: ~~Tôi không viết ra để quên~~ means something else, "I do not write it down in order to forget."
4. Noun + để + verb: "something to …". English "something to eat", "nothing to say", "a house to live in" has this order in Vietnamese too:
- Nhà để ở. (12.4) "a house to live in" - Có gì để ăn không? (12.8) "Is there anything to eat?" The frame có gì … không was seen in Lesson 11, rule 4. - Tôi không có gì để nói. (12.10) "I have nothing to say." - Có đủ điều kiện để làm việc. (12.13) "to have sufficient conditions to work". The pattern đủ "enough" + noun + để + verb is the commonest form of "enough … to …", as in Tôi có đủ tiền để mua nhà "I have enough money to buy a house".
5. What is it for? Để làm gì, dùng để. The question "what for?" is để làm gì? (literally "in order to do what"): Cái này để làm gì? (12.25). Its answer is often dùng để "is used for" followed by a verb: Cái này dùng để nấu canh. (12.26). Dùng is "use". Said alone, Để làm gì? is "What for?".
6. Để as a verb: put, leave, let. As a full verb để is "to place, to leave": Để nó ở đó "Put it there / Leave it there" (English Wiktionary), …và để hai con cá vào túi (12.23), "…and puts two fish into the bag". With a person after it, để is "let": Để nó ngủ đi. (12.5), Để tôi hỏi giá. (12.20), Để tôi cầm túi. (12.24). Để tôi + verb is how Vietnamese offers to do something: "Let me …". The particle đi at the end of 12.5 urges the action.
7. After a verb of going or coming, the aim may follow directly. Tôi đến nhà bạn chơi (compare Lesson 11, 11.11: bạn đến nhà tôi chơi nhé) is "I come to your house to visit", and Tôi đi mua cá is "I go to buy fish". There is no để, because the two verbs are in a chain, like those of rule 1. With để the sentence is clearer, and the learner is safe to use it: Tôi đi chợ để mua cá.
8. "To" of direction and of the receiver. Vietnamese has other words for them, and để is none of them.
- Direction. The place follows đi, đến, về directly: Tôi đi chợ. (12.7), "I go to the market"; Họ về nhà. (12.30) "They go home". From … to is từ … đến (Lesson 9, từ). - For a person. Cho ("give", met in the earlier lessons) marks the person who gains: Tôi mua quà cho bạn. "I buy a gift for you." (flexiclasses), Tôi muốn nấu cơm cho bạn. (12.17).
9. Linked clauses. 12.15 chains three of the structures: Nếu bạn muốn nói tiếng Việt ("if you want to speak", muốn + bare verb), bạn cần học mỗi ngày ("you need to study every day", cần + bare verb) and để nhớ từ mới ("in order to remember new words", the aim). The nếu clause comes first, as in Lesson 11, rule 11.
- Putting để after muốn, cần, thích, phải. ~~Tôi muốn để ăn~~, ~~Bạn cần để đi~~ and ~~Tôi phải để đi~~ are wrong. Say Tôi muốn ăn. (12.1) Use để only for an aim (rule 2). - Using để for direction. ~~Tôi đi để chợ~~ is not "I go to the market". Say Tôi đi chợ. (12.7) - Using để for the receiver. "A gift to you" is quà cho bạn, and not ~~quà để bạn~~. - Misplacing the negative. The "not" of "so as not to" comes after để: để không quên (12.9), and not ~~không để quên~~ (which would mean "do not leave behind / forget it", with để as the verb "leave"). - Repeating the subject. ~~Tôi đi chợ để tôi mua rau~~ is heavy where the doer is the same. Say Tôi đi chợ để mua rau. - Forgetting the second meaning. Để at the beginning of a sentence is "let", and not "in order to": Để tôi hỏi giá (12.20) is "Let me ask the price". - Dropping the marks. để (in order to) is not đê (dike), đề (title), đế (sole, base; emperor) or đẻ (to give birth), and đ is not d: để is not dể.
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Frequency and register. "To" is rank 12 in the list of the thousand most useful words that this course follows. Its Vietnamese counterpart để is a very common connecting word, and it is neutral in register: it can be used in a shop, in a classroom and in a letter. A more formal text may prefer nhằm (rule 2).
Why the lesson has two halves. A learner who looks for "to" in a Vietnamese sentence will often not find it, and this is not a gap. Vietnamese puts the two verbs side by side: Tôi muốn ăn has the same shape as "I want eat". A great part of the work of learning Vietnamese is to stop looking for the small words of English, and to hear that the order of the words does the work. The word để is needed only when the sentence has to say why.
The South. English Wiktionary records the Hanoi pronunciation [ʔɗe˧˩] and the Saigon pronunciation [ʔɗej˨˩˦], the same word. The SVFF page on để, which is written for the Southern dialect, gives Để tui coi for "Let me see": tui is the Southern form of tôi, and coi the Southern word for "look", where Hanoi says Để tôi xem. The grammar is the same on both sides of the country.
Eating to live. The saying of Section F is a Vietnamese proverb (tục ngữ) that tells people to eat in order to keep their health and strength for work, and not to make eating the aim of life. It is given with this meaning in a collection of two hundred and seventy-five Vietnamese proverbs and folk sayings (entry 22) and in the proverb dictionary of vdict. The wording varies from one source to another: Ăn để sống, không sống để ăn in the collection, Ăn để mà sống, không sống để mà ăn in the dictionary, and Ăn để sống, không phải sống để ăn in an article on a Buddhist site. No author or date is given for it in any of them. Its balanced shape, with the two verbs exchanging places, makes it a good model for để.
Fixed phrases with để.
- Để làm gì? — "What for?" (rule 5) - dùng để — "used for" (12.26) - Để tôi … — "Let me …" (12.20, 12.24), the usual offer of help - Có gì để ăn không? — "Is there anything to eat?" (12.8) - để khỏi — "so as to avoid" (rule 3) - đủ … để … — "enough … to …" (rule 4)
At the market. The narrative of this lesson is at a Vietnamese market (chợ). In this scene the buyers ask the price (giá) before buying, and Anna asks for a bag for the fish. In 12.21 the seller calls Anna chị and Anna calls the seller cô, and ạ and dạ keep the exchange polite, as in Lesson 11. Which kinship word fits depends on the relative ages, which is why the same person may be called by different words in different shops.
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An anonymous Vietnamese proverb (tục ngữ), with no known author or date. The text is as given in a collection of two hundred and seventy-five Vietnamese proverbs and folk sayings (entry 22), and the same proverb, in the longer wording Ăn để mà sống, không sống để mà ăn, is defined in the vdict proverb dictionary as meaning that eating should serve the purpose of sustaining life and should not become life's main aim:
> Ăn để sống, > Không sống để ăn.
F.1a Ăn eat để in-order-to sống, live
F.1b Ăn /ʔan˧˧/ eat để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP sống /səwŋ͡m˧˦/ live
F.2a Không not sống live để in-order-to ăn. eat
F.2b Không /xəwŋ͡m˧˧/ NEG sống /səwŋ͡m˧˦/ live để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP ăn /ʔan˧˧/ eat
Ăn để sống, Không sống để ăn.
"Eat in order to live, do not live in order to eat."
Ăn để sống, Không sống để ăn.
Ends and means. The proverb has the shape of a chiasmus: the same two verbs, ăn and sống, stand on each side of để in the first half, and then change places in the second. In the first half the eating is the means and the living the aim. In the second the aim is denied to eating: không sống để ăn, "do not live in order to eat". The word that makes the whole contrast is the small one in the middle, để, which in both halves says "in order to".
No infinitive. Neither verb has a form of its own. Ăn is "eat", "to eat" and "eating", and sống is "live", "to live" and "living". English needs "to" twice, and Vietnamese needs the verbs only.
The imperative without a subject. As in all proverbs, there is no subject, no bạn and no tôi: the saying is addressed to everyone. The negation không stands before the verb it governs, sống, and not before để: "do not live (in order to) eat", in the pattern of rule 3.
The longer wording. In Ăn để mà sống the mà after để is a linking word that fills out the rhythm of the line, and the meaning does not change. The dictionary gives it with mà in both halves, and the collection leaves it out. The lesson prints the shorter form because it shows the structure of để most clearly.
The text. The wording is that of the collection, and the longer wording is that of the dictionary headword. Both are anonymous, and no source gives a date, a place or a first printing, so none is given here. Other sources vary in small points, as the three wordings quoted in Section E show.
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Anna has been learning to cook rice. On the morning after the café of Lesson 11, she goes to the market in Hà Nội with Nam. The text is a short narrative with some speech in it.
12.16a Sáng morning nay this Anna Anna và and Nam Nam đi go chợ market để in-order-to mua buy cá fish và and rau. vegetables
12.16b Sáng /saːŋ˧˦/ morning nay /naj˧˧/ this.present Anna /ʔan˧˧ naː˧˧/ Anna.NAME và /vaː˨˩/ and Nam /naːm˧˧/ Nam.NAME đi /ʔɗi˧˧/ go chợ /t͡ɕəː˧˨ʔ/ market để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP mua /muə˧˧/ buy cá /kaː˧˦/ fish và /vaː˨˩/ and rau /zaw˧˧/ vegetables
12.17a Anna Anna nói: say "Tôi I muốn want nấu cook cơm rice cho for bạn." you
12.17b Anna /ʔan˧˧ naː˧˧/ Anna.NAME nói /nɔj˧˦/ say Tôi /toj˧˧/ 1SG muốn /muən˧˦/ want nấu /nəw˧˦/ cook cơm /kəːm˧˧/ cooked.rice/meal cho /t͡ɕɔ˧˧/ for/give bạn /ʔɓaːn˧˨ʔ/ 2SG
12.18a Nam Nam hỏi: ask "Bạn you cần need mua buy gì?" what
12.18b Nam /naːm˧˧/ Nam.NAME hỏi /hɔj˧˩/ ask Bạn /ʔɓaːn˧˨ʔ/ 2SG cần /kən˨˩/ need mua /muə˧˧/ buy gì /zi˨˩/ what.Q
12.19a Anna Anna trả return lời: word "Tôi I cần need mua buy cá, fish rau vegetables và and trứng." egg
12.19b Anna /ʔan˧˧ naː˧˧/ Anna.NAME trả /t͡ɕaː˧˩/ return lời /ləːj˨˩/ word/reply Tôi /toj˧˧/ 1SG cần /kən˨˩/ need mua /muə˧˧/ buy cá /kaː˧˦/ fish rau /zaw˧˧/ vegetables và /vaː˨˩/ and trứng /t͡ɕɨŋ˧˦/ egg
12.20a Nam Nam nói: say "Để let tôi I hỏi ask giá." price
12.20b Nam /naːm˧˧/ Nam.NAME nói /nɔj˧˦/ say Để /ʔɗe˧˩/ let tôi /toj˧˧/ 1SG hỏi /hɔj˧˩/ ask giá /zaː˧˦/ price
12.21a Người person bán sell cá fish hỏi: ask "Chị older-sister muốn want mua buy mấy how-many con (animal) ạ?" (polite)
12.21b Người /ŋɨəj˨˩/ person bán /ʔɓaːn˧˦/ sell cá /kaː˧˦/ fish hỏi /hɔj˧˩/ ask Chị /t͡ɕi˧˨ʔ/ older.sister(2SG) muốn /muən˧˦/ want mua /muə˧˧/ buy mấy /məj˧˦/ how.many.Q con /kɔn˧˧/ CL.animal ạ /ʔaː˧˨ʔ/ PRT.POLITE
12.22a Anna Anna nói: say "Hai two con (animal) ạ. (polite) Cô Ms có have túi bag để for đựng hold cá fish không or-not ạ?" (polite)
12.22b Anna /ʔan˧˧ naː˧˧/ Anna.NAME nói /nɔj˧˦/ say Hai /haːj˧˧/ two con /kɔn˧˧/ CL.animal ạ /ʔaː˧˨ʔ/ PRT.POLITE Cô /ko˧˧/ Ms/aunt(2SG) có /kɔ˧˦/ have túi /tuj˧˦/ bag/pocket để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP đựng /ʔɗɨŋ˧˨ʔ/ hold/contain cá /kaː˧˦/ fish không /xəwŋ͡m˧˧/ Q.NEG ạ /ʔaː˧˨ʔ/ PRT.POLITE
12.23a Cô Ms bán sell cá fish nói: say "Dạ yes có," have và and để put hai two con (animal) cá fish vào into túi. bag
12.23b Cô /ko˧˧/ Ms/aunt bán /ʔɓaːn˧˦/ sell cá /kaː˧˦/ fish nói /nɔj˧˦/ say Dạ /zaː˧˨ʔ/ PRT.POLITE.yes có /kɔ˧˦/ have và /vaː˨˩/ and để /ʔɗe˧˩/ put hai /haːj˧˧/ two con /kɔn˧˧/ CL.animal cá /kaː˧˦/ fish vào /vaːw˨˩/ enter/into túi /tuj˧˦/ bag/pocket
12.24a Nam Nam nói: say "Để let tôi I cầm hold túi." bag
12.24b Nam /naːm˧˧/ Nam.NAME nói /nɔj˧˦/ say Để /ʔɗe˧˩/ let tôi /toj˧˧/ 1SG cầm /kəm˨˩/ hold/carry túi /tuj˧˦/ bag/pocket
12.25a Anna Anna thấy see một one bó bunch rau vegetables lạ strange và and hỏi: ask "Cái thing này this để for làm do gì?" what
12.25b Anna /ʔan˧˧ naː˧˧/ Anna.NAME thấy /tʰəj˧˦/ see một /mot˧˨ʔ/ one bó /ʔɓɔ˧˦/ bunch rau /zaw˧˧/ vegetables lạ /laː˧˨ʔ/ strange/unfamiliar và /vaː˨˩/ and hỏi /hɔj˧˩/ ask Cái /kaːj˧˦/ CL.thing này /naj˨˩/ DEM.near để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP làm /laːm˨˩/ do gì /zi˨˩/ what.Q
12.26a Nam Nam trả return lời: word "Cái thing này this dùng use để in-order-to nấu cook canh." soup
12.26b Nam /naːm˧˧/ Nam.NAME trả /t͡ɕaː˧˩/ return lời /ləːj˨˩/ word/reply Cái /kaːj˧˦/ CL.thing này /naj˨˩/ DEM.near dùng /zuŋ͡m˨˩/ use để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP nấu /nəw˧˦/ cook canh /kajŋ˧˧/ soup
12.27a Anna Anna nói: say "Tôi I muốn want học study nấu cook canh." soup
12.27b Anna /ʔan˧˧ naː˧˧/ Anna.NAME nói /nɔj˧˦/ say Tôi /toj˧˧/ 1SG muốn /muən˧˦/ want học /hawk͡p˧˨ʔ/ study nấu /nəw˧˦/ cook canh /kajŋ˧˧/ soup
12.28a Nam Nam nói: say "Hôm day nay this tôi I có have thời time- gian -span để in-order-to dạy teach bạn you nấu cook canh." soup
12.28b Nam /naːm˧˧/ Nam.NAME nói /nɔj˧˦/ say Hôm /hom˧˧/ day nay /naj˧˧/ this.present tôi /toj˧˧/ 1SG có /kɔ˧˦/ have thời /tʰəːj˨˩/ time(1) gian /zaːn˧˧/ time(2) để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP dạy /zaj˧˨ʔ/ teach bạn /ʔɓaːn˧˨ʔ/ 2SG nấu /nəw˧˦/ cook canh /kajŋ˧˧/ soup
12.29a Anna Anna viết write tên name rau vegetables vào into vở notebook để in-order-to không not quên. forget
12.29b Anna /ʔan˧˧ naː˧˧/ Anna.NAME viết /viət˧˦/ write tên /ten˧˧/ name rau /zaw˧˧/ vegetables vào /vaːw˨˩/ enter/into vở /vəː˧˩/ notebook để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP không /xəwŋ͡m˧˧/ NEG quên /kwen˧˧/ forget
12.30a Họ they về return nhà house sớm early để in-order-to nấu cook cơm rice trưa. noon
12.30b Họ /hɔ˧˨ʔ/ 3PL về /ve˨˩/ return nhà /ɲaː˨˩/ house sớm /səːm˧˦/ early để /ʔɗe˧˩/ PURP nấu /nəw˧˦/ cook cơm /kəːm˧˧/ cooked.rice/meal trưa /t͡ɕɨə˧˧/ noon
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12.16 Sáng nay Anna và Nam đi chợ để mua cá và rau. → "This morning Anna and Nam go to the market to buy fish and vegetables."
12.17 Anna nói: "Tôi muốn nấu cơm cho bạn." → Anna says: "I want to cook a meal for you."
12.18 Nam hỏi: "Bạn cần mua gì?" → Nam asks: "What do you need to buy?"
12.19 Anna trả lời: "Tôi cần mua cá, rau và trứng." → Anna answers: "I need to buy fish, vegetables and eggs."
12.20 Nam nói: "Để tôi hỏi giá." → Nam says: "Let me ask the price."
12.21 Người bán cá hỏi: "Chị muốn mua mấy con ạ?" → The fish seller asks: "How many (fish) would you like to buy?"
12.22 Anna nói: "Hai con ạ. Cô có túi để đựng cá không ạ?" → Anna says: "Two, please. Do you have a bag to put the fish in?"
12.23 Cô bán cá nói: "Dạ có," và để hai con cá vào túi. → The fish seller says: "Yes, I do," and puts the two fish into a bag.
12.24 Nam nói: "Để tôi cầm túi." → Nam says: "Let me carry the bag."
12.25 Anna thấy một bó rau lạ và hỏi: "Cái này để làm gì?" → Anna sees a bunch of unfamiliar greens and asks: "What is this for?"
12.26 Nam trả lời: "Cái này dùng để nấu canh." → Nam answers: "This is used to make soup."
12.27 Anna nói: "Tôi muốn học nấu canh." → Anna says: "I want to learn to cook soup."
12.28 Nam nói: "Hôm nay tôi có thời gian để dạy bạn nấu canh." → Nam says: "Today I have time to teach you to cook soup."
12.29 Anna viết tên rau vào vở để không quên. → Anna writes the name of the greens in her notebook so as not to forget.
12.30 Họ về nhà sớm để nấu cơm trưa. → They go home early to cook lunch.
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12.16 Sáng nay Anna và Nam đi chợ để mua cá và rau.
12.17 Anna nói: "Tôi muốn nấu cơm cho bạn."
12.18 Nam hỏi: "Bạn cần mua gì?"
12.19 Anna trả lời: "Tôi cần mua cá, rau và trứng."
12.20 Nam nói: "Để tôi hỏi giá."
12.21 Người bán cá hỏi: "Chị muốn mua mấy con ạ?"
12.22 Anna nói: "Hai con ạ. Cô có túi để đựng cá không ạ?"
12.23 Cô bán cá nói: "Dạ có," và để hai con cá vào túi.
12.24 Nam nói: "Để tôi cầm túi."
12.25 Anna thấy một bó rau lạ và hỏi: "Cái này để làm gì?"
12.26 Nam trả lời: "Cái này dùng để nấu canh."
12.27 Anna nói: "Tôi muốn học nấu canh."
12.28 Nam nói: "Hôm nay tôi có thời gian để dạy bạn nấu canh."
12.29 Anna viết tên rau vào vở để không quên.
12.30 Họ về nhà sớm để nấu cơm trưa.
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Going to the market to buy. The first sentence (12.16) has the two halves of the lesson in one line. Đi chợ is "go to the market", with the place directly after the verb and no word for "to" (rule 8). Để mua cá và rau is the aim, "in order to buy fish and vegetables" (rule 2). The two other actions of the morning are mua "buy" and nấu "cook", and neither has a marker.
Muốn, cần: the bare verb. Anna muốn nấu cơm (12.17), "wants to cook rice", and cần mua (12.19) "needs to buy". Nam asks Bạn cần mua gì? (12.18), "What do you need to buy?", and the question word gì closes the sentence, where English puts "what" at the front. In 12.21 the seller asks Chị muốn mua mấy con ạ?, with muốn and mua side by side again, and mấy con "how many animals" (the classifier of Lesson 10, con, is used for fish). In 12.27 there are three verbs in a row: muốn học nấu canh, "want to learn to cook soup". The English needs "to" twice, and Vietnamese none.
Để tôi: the offer. In 12.20, Để tôi hỏi giá, and in 12.24, Để tôi cầm túi, để is the verb "let", with tôi as the person who is allowed to act: "let me ask", "let me carry". It is the usual way of taking a job on oneself. The same word opens 12.5, Để nó ngủ đi. The subject of the second verb comes directly after để, and so the sentence has no second tôi.
Để as an aim after a noun. In 12.22, Cô có túi để đựng cá không ạ?, the aim follows the noun it belongs to: túi để đựng cá "a bag to put the fish in" (literally "bag in-order-to hold fish"), as in Nhà để ở (12.4). The question frame có … không is that of Lesson 11, with ạ for politeness, as Anna speaks to a seller. Cô is the polite "Ms" for an older woman, and the seller says chị for Anna (Section E).
Để as a verb of putting. In 12.23, để hai con cá vào túi is a different để: "puts two fish into the bag". The verb is followed by the thing put (hai con cá) and the place (vào túi, "into the bag"). The seller's speech is Dạ có, "Yes, I do", the answer of Lesson 11 to a question with có, closed with a comma inside the quotation marks and followed by và "and" and the action.
Cái này để làm gì? Dùng để. In 12.25, Cái này để làm gì? asks what a thing is for (rule 5). Nam answers with dùng để in 12.26: Cái này dùng để nấu canh, "this is used to cook soup". Without a subject for nấu, the sentence has a general sense: anyone cooking soup. Cái is the classifier for a thing, and cái này is "this one". Bó is the classifier for a bunch, and lạ is "strange, unfamiliar".
Time to teach. In 12.28, Tôi có thời gian để dạy bạn nấu canh, "I have time to teach you to cook soup", the noun thời gian (Lesson 11) is followed by để and a verb, as in rule 4: "time in order to teach". The verb dạy takes the person (bạn) and then the thing taught (nấu canh).
Writing so as not to forget. In 12.29, để không quên is the negative aim of rule 3, and it answers exactly the sentence of 12.9: Anna writes the name of the greens (tên rau) into her notebook (vào vở) so that she will not forget.
The last sentence. In 12.30, Họ về nhà sớm để nấu cơm trưa has về nhà "go home" with no word for "to" (rule 8), sớm "early" and an aim with để. Cơm trưa is "lunch" (literally "noon rice"), the meal that Anna wanted to cook for Nam in 12.17. Họ is the pronoun "they".
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The letters of this lesson. Vietnamese adds to the Latin alphabet ă, â, đ, ê, ô, ơ, ư, and marks five of its six tones with à á ả ã ạ. A letter may carry a vowel mark and a tone mark at once: để (ê + hỏi), muốn (ô + sắc), cần (â + huyền), tiết (ê + sắc), kiệm (ê + nặng), điều (ê + huyền), kiện (ê + nặng), việc (ê + nặng), viết (ê + sắc), sống (ô + sắc), đựng (ư + nặng), trứng (ư + sắc), khắc (ă + sắc), nấu (â + sắc), cầm (â + huyền), thấy (â + sắc), vở (ơ + hỏi), nhớ (ơ + sắc), mỗi (ô + ngã), chuyện (ê + nặng).
Where the tone mark goes. On the main vowel of the syllable. In iê it goes on the ê: tiết, kiệm, điều, kiện, việc, viết, chuyện, tiền. In uô it goes on the ô: muốn. In ươ it goes on the ơ: người. In ua and ưa with no final consonant it goes on the first vowel: mua, trưa (both level, so no mark is written). Để and its neighbours. để /ʔɗe˧˩/ (in order to; put; let), đê /ʔɗe˧˧/ (dike), đề /ʔɗe˨˩/ (title, topic), đế /ʔɗe˧˦/ (sole, base; emperor) and đẻ /ʔɗɛ˧˩/ (to give birth, of animals) are spelt with the same letters and differ in tone and in the quality of the vowel. The vowel of đẻ is the open [ɛ] of em, and the others are the closed [e]. Dể would be a different letter at the beginning: d is [z] in Hanoi, and đ is the implosive [ʔɗ].
The sound [z] and its spellings. In the Hanoi standard, d, gi and r are all [z]: dạy /zaj˧˨ʔ/, dùng /zuŋ͡m˨˩/, du /zu˧˧/, giá /zaː˧˦/, giúp /zup˧˦/, gì /zi˨˩/, rau /zaw˧˧/, ra /zaː˧˧/, rõ /zɔ˧˥/. The three spellings are to be learnt with the words. In the South d is often [j] and r is a trill.
The letters c, k, q, kh. The sound [k] is spelt c before a, ă, â, o, ô, ơ, u, ư (cá, cần, có, cơm, cùng), k before e, ê, i (kiệm, kiện) and qu when it is followed by [w] (quên). Kh is a different sound, [x], as in khó, khăn, khắc, khỏi.
Final -ng, -c, -ch, -p. After o, ô, u the lips close at the end of -ng and -c: không [xəwŋ͡m], sống [səwŋ͡m], dùng [zuŋ͡m], cùng [kuŋ͡m], đọc [ʔɗawk͡p], phục [fuk͡p]. After ư, ơ, ươ, a and ă they do not: đựng [ʔɗɨŋ], trứng [t͡ɕɨŋ], khắc [xak]. The final -ch in thích and sách is a [k]-like stop in Hanoi, with a glide before it in sách [sajk].
Tone pairs to drill. để (in order to) / đế (sole) / đề (title) / đẻ (give birth); cá (fish) / cả (all) / ca (song; cup); mua (buy) / mưa (rain); dạy (teach) / dậy (wake up) / đây (here); giá (price) / già (old) / gia (family); bán (sell) / bàn (table) / bận (busy) / bản (copy).
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