"để" in Vietnamese: meaning, usage & examples (Southern dialect)

Definition

What it means

English

The word 'để' in Southern Vietnamese means 'in order to' or 'to'. It's used to show the purpose or reason for an action.

Tiếng Việt

Từ "để" trong tiếng Việt Nam giọng miền Nam có nghĩa là "để mà" hoặc "nhằm". Nó được dùng để chỉ mục đích hoặc lý do cho một hành động.

Examples

In real Southern Vietnamese

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Anh tới Việt Nam để làm gì vậy?

What did you come to Vietnam for?
Tôi tới để đi du lịch.

I came to travel.
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“để” has more than one use

Same word, different jobs in a sentence. These are covered separately:

để Giving, Receiving & Causatives để = "let / allow (someone to do something)." A permissive causative: để + person + verb2. (để also means "in …
để The word 'để' in Southern Vietnamese can mean 'to let', 'to allow', or 'in order to'. It's often used to sugge…
để The word 'để' in Southern Vietnamese is used to express permission, intention, or letting something happen. It…

Usage notes

'Để + Verb' between two clauses = 'in order to / so as to'. Shows the purpose of the first action. 'Tui tới Việt Nam để học tiếng Việt' = I came to Vietnam to study Vietnamese. Distinct from offering/letting 'để' (entry 405) by position (mid-sentence) and what follows (a purpose-verb).

Full lesson để Giving, Receiving & Causatives This word is taught in full in Grammar Essentials — every example with audio, gloss and exercises.

để

What it means

In real Southern Vietnamese

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“để” has more than one use

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