Picture this: you're at a quán in Saigon, the fan is fighting a losing battle against the heat, and your friend keeps pushing food at you. You want to say "I'm still full," "there's still some left," and "please, no more" — all in one breath. Three tiny words do all that heavy lifting: vẫn, còn, and nữa. Let's sort them out.
Quick answer: vẫn (còn) = "still" (a state hasn't changed), còn = "still there / left over," and nữa = "more / another" — but pair nữa with hết rồi or đừng and it flips to "anymore."
Two friends texting: hear them in the wild first
See how naturally the three overlap? Còn is doing "still exists / still open," and vẫn is doing "I still do it, nothing changed." Now let's take them one at a time, Saigon-style.
Vẫn — a state that refuses to change
Use vẫn when something is the same as before — a habit, a feeling, a situation that stubbornly stays put. It sits right before the verb or adjective. In everyday Saigon speech you'll constantly hear the fuller vẫn còn too, which just adds a little "still-ness" flavour.
Local tip
When a Saigon friend asks "Khỏe hông?" (You good?), a super common reply is "Ừ, vẫn khỏe" — "Yeah, still good." It quietly says nothing's changed, life's the same, which is exactly the vibe of vẫn.
Còn — "still there" and "left over"
This one is a workhorse. Còn means something still exists or there's some remaining. It's the word you reach for at every market stall and every fridge check.
Notice that last example sneaks in nữa — "another bowl." That's our cue to move on.
Good to know
Còn also works as "and what about…?" — a super handy connector. "Tui uống trà đá. Còn bà?" = "I'll have iced tea. And you?" Same little word, doing conversational glue.
Nữa — "more," "another," and (watch out) "anymore"
Here's where learners trip. Nữa goes after what it's counting, and its meaning bends with the sentence around it.
1) Positive = "more / another." Adding to what you already have.
2) Negative = "anymore." When the sentence already has hết rồi (all gone), đừng (don't), or không, then nữa means "any longer / anymore."
Common mistake
Learners often say "tui hông muốn cà phê" when they mean "I don't want coffee anymore." Without nữa, it just sounds like you never wanted it. Add it: "tui hông muốn cà phê nữa" — now it means you've had enough. That little nữa is the whole difference.
Putting all three together
Real speech mixes them constantly. Watch vẫn, còn, and nữa share one thought:
Does the North say it differently?
Honestly, vẫn, còn and nữa work the same way across the country — the grammar doesn't split by dialect here. What does change is the little words riding alongside them. Here's the Saigon flavour vs. what you'd hear up North:
| Meaning | Southern (Saigon) | Northern (Hanoi) |
|---|---|---|
| …or not? (yes/no question) | còn hông? | còn không? |
| softener "okay?/yeah?" | nữa nha / nữa nghen | nữa nhé |
| this, that (still around) | còn cái này nè | còn cái này này |
| "a little more" | chút xíu nữa | một tí nữa |
So the trio stays constant — it's the surrounding nha, nghen, and hông that make you sound like you actually live in Saigon.
Try it yourself
- Say "I still love iced coffee" (use vẫn).
- Ask the seller "Are there any spring rolls left?" (use còn).
- Tell your friend "I'm full, don't order anymore" (use nữa).
- Combine: "There's still a lot, eat some more!"
Answers: 1) Tui vẫn thích cà phê sữa đá. 2) Còn chả giò hông chị? 3) Tui no rồi, đừng kêu (gọi) nữa. 4) Còn nhiều lắm, ăn thêm nữa đi!
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between vẫn and còn for "still"?
Vẫn is about a state or action that hasn't changed ("I still go there"). Còn is about something still existing or being left over ("there's still some left"). Saigon folks often glue them together as vẫn còn for extra emphasis.
How do I know if nữa means "more" or "anymore"?
Check the rest of the sentence. Positive sentence = "more / another." If there's a negative like hết rồi, đừng, or hông, then nữa = "anymore."
Where does nữa go in the sentence?
At the end of the thing it counts: một ly nữa (one more glass), chút nữa (a little more). It comes after the noun or verb phrase, not before.
Is còn only for grammar, or a real word?
Both! It's a full verb meaning "to remain / to have left," and it also links sentences as "and what about…?" You'll use it dozens of times a day in Saigon.
What's the best way to drill these naturally?
Hearing them in real conversation beats memorising rules. When you learn Southern Vietnamese online with a native Saigon teacher, you'll pick up vẫn, còn and nữa the way locals actually string them together — with all the nha and nghen included.
Learn Southern Vietnamese online with people who actually speak it
SVFF is the school built entirely around the Southern (Saigon) dialect — native teachers from Ho Chi Minh City, since 2014.
- Listen to the SVFF podcast — real Southern Vietnamese, free.
- Book a free trial lesson — 30 minutes 1-on-1 with a native Saigon teacher.
- Browse our courses — structured A0–C1, all Southern dialect.
- Go Unlimited — every course and e-textbook, one payment.
0 Comments
Log in to leave a comment.