Emphasis with 'rồi' — Southern Vietnamese Grammar

The particle is placed at the end of a sentence to indicate that an action is finished or that a state has changed. It is most commonly translated as already or used to express the perfect tense (have done) in English.

Completed Actions

To show that an action has happened in the past and is now complete, place after the verb or the object of the sentence. This emphasizes the completion rather than the specific time the action occurred.

Tôi ăn cơm rồi.
I ate rice already.
Ảnh đi làm rồi.
He went to work already.
Tôi mua vé rồi.
I bought the ticket already.

Change of State

When follows an adjective, it indicates a change in condition. It implies that things were not this way before, but they are now. This is similar to saying "It is [adjective] now" or "It has become [adjective]."

Trễ rồi.
It is late already.
Con mèo này lớn rồi.
This cat is big now (it has grown up).
Món này nguội rồi.
This dish is cold already.

Confirmation and Agreement

In conversation, is frequently used to confirm facts or express agreement. It adds a tone of finality or certainty to the statement.

Đúng rồi.
That is correct.
Được rồi.
That is fine / Okay / Done.
Biết rồi.
I know (I understood already).

Answering "Have you... yet?"

is the standard positive answer to questions ending with (yet). If someone asks if you have done something yet, you use to say "yes."

Bạn uống cà phê chưa?
Have you had coffee yet?
Uống rồi.
Yes, I have (drank already).

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Southern Vietnamese course

19 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 8. A few of them, with the words “Emphasis with 'rồi'” is about in bold:

Đã chín năm rồi mình chưa gặp lại bạn!
I haven't seen you for nine years!
Lesson 175
Con gái chúng ta đâu rồi? - Con bé ở trường.
Where is our daughter? - She's at school.
Lesson 242
Bạn có hai đứa con rất xinh đẹp. Chúng được bao nhiêu tuổi rồi?
You have two very beautiful children. How old are they?
Lesson 264

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