Vietnamese Verb "nói" — to speak / to say

nói

to speak / to say

Type

Communication verb

Patterns

6 tense/aspect forms

Simple / Bare Verb

The bare verb with no marker. Context determines whether it refers to present, past, or habitual action.

Simple statement

Structure: Subject + nói

Tôi nói.

I speak / I said.

Past / Completed (đã)

The marker "đã" before the verb explicitly marks a completed action or past event.

Completed marker: đã

Structure: Subject + đã + nói

Tôi đã nói.

I said / I have said.

Progressive (đang)

The marker "đang" expresses an action currently in progress.

Progressive marker: đang

Structure: Subject + đang + nói

Tôi đang nói.

I am speaking.

Future (sẽ)

The marker "sẽ" expresses a future action or intention.

Future marker: sẽ

Structure: Subject + sẽ + nói

Tôi sẽ nói.

I will say.

Negative (không / chưa)

"Không" negates the verb generally. "Chưa" means "not yet" — implying the action may happen later.

Negative marker: không

Structure: Subject + không + nói

Tôi không nói.

I don't speak / I didn't say.

Not yet marker: chưa

Structure: Subject + chưa + nói

Tôi chưa nói gì.

I haven't said anything yet.

Experience / Other (đã từng / vẫn)

"Đã từng" marks past experience ("have ever done"). "Vẫn" means "still" for ongoing states.

Experience marker: đã từng

Structure: Subject + đã từng + nói

Tôi đã từng nói chuyện với cô ấy.

I have talked with her before.

Example Sentences

Bạn nói tiếng Việt không?

Do you speak Vietnamese?

Nói chậm hơn được không?

Can you speak more slowly?

Anh ấy đã nói gì?

What did he say?