Emphasis with 'rồi'

01

Indicating Completed Actions

The primary use of rồi is to mark an action as complete. In this context, it functions similarly to the perfect tense in English (have done / did ... already). It emphasizes that the event has concluded prior to the moment of speaking.

• Tôi ăn tối rồi.

  I have eaten dinner already.

• Mẹ đi làm rồi.

  Mom has gone to work already.

• Họ bán ngôi nhà đó rồi.

  They sold that house already.

02

Indicating a Change of State

Beyond simple past actions, rồi is used to show that a new state exists now that did not exist before. In these cases, it is often translated as now rather than already. This usage highlights a transition or a new reality.

• Trời mưa rồi.

  It is raining (it has started raining).

• Muộn rồi.

  It is late (now).

• Em hiểu rồi.

  I understand (now/I didn't understand before).

03

Confirmation and Agreement

You will often hear rồi attached to adjectives or affirmative words to express strong agreement or confirmation. This usage confirms that a state has been reached or a condition has been met.

• Đúng rồi!

  That is correct! (Right already!)

• Được rồi.

  Okay / All right.

• Xong rồi.

  Finished / Done.

04

Using 'Rồi' with 'Đã'

Vietnamese also has a past tense marker, đã, which is placed before the verb. While rồi can stand alone at the end of the sentence to indicate the past, speakers often combine both for emphasis.

• Đã + Verb: Focuses on the fact that the action occurred in the past.
• Verb + rồi: Focuses on the completion or result of the action.
• Đã + Verb + rồi: Emphasizes that the action is fully completed and finished.

• Tôi đã nói rồi.

  I said it already.

• Bố đã về rồi.

  Dad has already come home.

05

Placement in Lists

When listing a sequence of events, rồi can be used as a conjunction meaning and then or after that. In this specific structure, it connects two clauses rather than ending a sentence.

• Tôi tắm rồi đi ngủ.

  I shower and then go to sleep.

• Ăn cơm rồi uống nước.

  Eat rice and then drink water.