{"id":4380,"date":"2026-06-29T15:33:53","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T06:33:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.vietcafe-learning.com\/material\/?p=4380"},"modified":"2026-06-29T15:33:53","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T06:33:53","slug":"grammar59","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.vietcafe-learning.com\/material\/grammar59\/","title":{"rendered":"Grammar 59: Special Usage of “H\u1ebft” in Daily Conversation"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this lesson, we will summarize and explain the usage of “h\u1ebft” in daily Vietnamese conversation. Basically, “h\u1ebft” has three main meanings: “run out of (no more)”, “all”, and “finish”. Among these, the meanings of “all” and “finish” are particularly easy to confuse. We will also introduce characteristic idiomatic expressions commonly used by native speakers.<\/p>\n

\u2460 Out of \/ Run out of \/ No more<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Usage: Expresses a state where money, goods, time, energy, or chances are completely gone.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Synonym \/ Paraphrase: kh\u00f4ng c\u00f2n\u2026n\u1eefa (r\u1ed3i)<\/p>\n

Structure:<\/span><\/h3>\n
A:\u00a0 \u00a0h\u1ebft<\/span>\u3000+\u3000Noun\u3000+\u3000(r\u1ed3i)<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
or<\/div>\n
B:\u00a0 \u00a0Noun\u3000+\u3000(\u0111\u00e3)\u3000h\u1ebft<\/span>\u3000+\u3000(r\u1ed3i)<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

Example Sentences:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

\u2460 H\u1ebft<\/strong><\/span> ti\u1ec1n r\u1ed3i, th\u00e1ng n\u00e0y ch\u1eafc ph\u1ea3i ti\u1ebft ki\u1ec7m l\u1ea1i.
\n\u2192 I’ve run out of money. I guess I have to save up this month.<\/p>\n

\u2461 T\u00f4i \u0111\u1ebfn c\u1eeda h\u00e0ng mu\u1ed9n qu\u00e1 n\u00ean s\u1ea3n ph\u1ea9m t\u00f4i mu\u1ed1n \u0111\u00e3 h\u1ebft<\/strong><\/span> h\u00e0ng.
\n\u2192 I arrived at the store too late, so the product I wanted was already sold out (out of stock).<\/p>\n

\u2462 B\u00e0n \u0111\u00f3 \u0111\u00e3 c\u00f3 ng\u01b0\u1eddi \u0111\u1eb7t r\u1ed3i, b\u00e2y gi\u1edd h\u1ebft<\/strong><\/span> c\u01a1 h\u1ed9i cho m\u00ecnh r\u1ed3i.
\n\u2192 That table is already booked, now we are out of chances.<\/p>\n

\u2463 Em h\u1ebft<\/strong><\/span> th\u00edch u\u1ed1ng s\u1eefa r\u1ed3i.
\n\u2192 I don’t like drinking milk anymore. (Lost interest)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Advanced Structure (Emphatic Negation):<\/span><\/h3>\n
kh\u00f4ng c\u00f2n\u00a0 +\u3000Noun\u3000+\u3000n\u00e0o h\u1ebft \/ c\u1ea3<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n

* Expresses that something no longer exists. “H\u1ebft” is placed at the end of the sentence to emphasize “not a single one at all”.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2464 Trong h\u1ed9p kh\u00f4ng c\u00f2n<\/strong> c\u00e1i b\u00e1nh n\u00e0o<\/strong> h\u1ebft<\/strong><\/span>.
\n( = Trong h\u1ed9p kh\u00f4ng c\u00f2n<\/strong> c\u00e1i b\u00e1nh n\u00e0o<\/strong> c\u1ea3<\/strong><\/span>. )
\n\u2192 There are no cakes left in the box at all.<\/div>\n

\u2461 All \/ Everything \/ Entirely<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Usage: Expresses doing something to “all” of the objects, leaving nothing behind.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Subject\u3000+\u3000Verb\u3000+\u3000h\u1ebft<\/span>\u3000+\u3000(Noun)<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n

\u2460 T\u00f4i \u0111\u00e3 n\u00f3i h\u1ebft<\/strong><\/span> m\u1ecdi chuy\u1ec7n cho anh \u1ea5y nghe r\u1ed3i.
\n\u2192 I told him everything (all the stories).<\/p>\n

\u2461 B\u1ea1n nh\u1edb l\u1ea5y h\u1ebft<\/strong><\/span> \u0111\u1ed3 trong ng\u0103n k\u00e9o ra tr\u01b0\u1edbc khi d\u1ecdn nh\u00e0 nh\u00e9.
\n\u2192 Remember to take all the stuff out of the drawer before moving house.<\/p>\n

\u2462 C\u01a1m c\u00f2n nhi\u1ec1u l\u1eafm, con nh\u1edb \u0103n h\u1ebft<\/strong><\/span> \u0111i nh\u00e9!
\n\u2192 There is still a lot of rice, remember to eat it all up!<\/p>\n

\u2463 H\u00f4m nay c\u1ea3 l\u1edbp \u0111\u1ec1u \u0111\u1ebfn h\u1ebft<\/strong><\/span>, kh\u00f4ng ai ngh\u1ec9.
\n\u2192 Everyone in the class came today, no one was absent.<\/p>\n

\u2464 C\u0169ng mu\u1ed9n r\u1ed3i n\u00ean t\u00f4i mua h\u1ebft<\/strong><\/span> ph\u1ea7n c\u00f2n l\u1ea1i gi\u00fap ch\u1ecb nh\u00e9.
\n\u2192 It’s getting late, so I will buy all the rest for you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u2462 Finished \/ Completed (State of Action)<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Usage: Used when an action, work, study, or cleaning has been completed to the very end.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Even when “h\u1ebft” is used to mean “finish,” it partially retains the nuance of “all\/entirely”. In daily conversation, words are omitted, but the full sentence concept is as follows:<\/p>\n

Subject\u3000+\u3000Verb + xong (finish)\u00a0 +\u00a0 h\u1ebft<\/span>\u00a0 +\u00a0 to\u00e0n b\u1ed9 (entirely)<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n

\u2193 Common form in conversation \u2193<\/p>\n

Subject\u3000+\u3000Verb\u3000+\u3000h\u1ebft<\/span>\u3000+\u3000Noun\u3000+\u3000(r\u1ed3i)<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n

\u2460 T\u1ed1i qua t\u00f4i th\u1ee9c \u0111\u1ebfn khuya \u0111\u1ec3 l\u00e0m h\u1ebft<\/strong><\/span> b\u00e0i t\u1eadp cho k\u1ecbp h\u1ea1n n\u1ed9p.
\n\u2192 Last night, I stayed up late to finish all my homework in time for the deadline.<\/p>\n

\u2461 T\u00f4i \u0111\u00e3 \u0111\u1ecdc h\u1ebft<\/strong><\/span> cu\u1ed1n s\u00e1ch n\u00e0y r\u1ed3i, gi\u1edd t\u00f4i mu\u1ed1n mua cu\u1ed1n kh\u00e1c.
\n\u2192 I have finished reading this entire book; now I want to buy another one.<\/p>\n

\u2462 Ch\u1ec9 c\u1ea7n d\u1ecdn d\u1eb9p h\u1ebft<\/strong><\/span> c\u0103n ph\u00f2ng n\u00e0y l\u00e0 xong r\u1ed3i.
\n\u2192 Just finish cleaning up this whole room and we’re done.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u2463 End of a Time \/ Period<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n

Usage: Used with words indicating the end of a period, such as “time, day, week, month, year, deadline, contract”.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

H\u1ebft<\/span>\u3000+\u3000Time \/ Period<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n

\u2460 H\u1ebft<\/strong><\/span> gi\u1edd l\u00e0m r\u1ed3i, ch\u00fang ta v\u1ec1 th\u00f4i.
\n\u2192 Working hours are over; let’s go home.<\/p>\n

\u2461 H\u1ebft<\/strong><\/span> n\u0103m nay t\u00f4i s\u1ebd chuy\u1ec3n sang s\u1ed1ng \u1edf TP.HCM.
\n\u2192 At the end of this year, I plan to move to Ho Chi Minh City.<\/p>\n

\u2462 Anh ch\u1edd em h\u1ebft<\/strong><\/span> tu\u1ea7n n\u00e0y nh\u00e9, sang tu\u1ea7n em r\u1ea3nh h\u01a1n.
\n\u2192 Please wait for me until the end of this week; I’ll have more time next week.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u2464 Others: Idioms for Emphasizing Feelings\/Situations (Very \/ Extremely)<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Usage: Very colloquial expressions used in conversation to strongly emphasize the intensity of an emotion or condition.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
h\u1ebft n\u01b0\u1edbc ch\u1ea5m<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\nAbsolutely perfect \/ Top-notch (Slang)<\/td>\nPhong c\u1ea3nh \u1edf \u0111\u00e2y \u0111\u1eb9p h\u1ebft n\u01b0\u1edbc ch\u1ea5m<\/strong><\/span>.
\nThe scenery here is absolutely stunning (Lit: out of dipping sauce).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
h\u1ebft s\u1ee9c<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nExtremely \/ Exhausted<\/td>\nM\u1ec7t h\u1ebft s\u1ee9c<\/strong><\/span>.
\nI’m extremely exhausted.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
h\u1ebft bi\u1ebft<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nBeyond words \/ Unbelievable<\/td>\nK\u1eb9t xe h\u1ebft bi\u1ebft<\/strong><\/span>.
\nThe traffic jam is unbelievably bad (Beyond words).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
h\u1ebft m\u00ecnh<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\nWholeheartedly \/ To the fullest<\/td>\nCh\u01a1i h\u1ebft m\u00ecnh<\/strong><\/span>.
\nWe partied \/ played to the fullest.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
h\u1ebft h\u1ed3n<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\nStartled \/ Scared to death<\/td>\nGi\u1eadt c\u1ea3 m\u00ecnh, h\u1ebft h\u1ed3n<\/strong><\/span> \u00e0!
\nOh, I was so startled, it scared me to death!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
h\u1ebft thu\u1ed1c ch\u1eefa<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\nHopeless \/ Incurable<\/td>\nL\u01b0\u1eddi th\u1ebf n\u00e0y th\u00ec \u0111\u00fang l\u00e0 h\u1ebft thu\u1ed1c ch\u1eefa<\/strong><\/span>.
\nBeing this lazy is truly hopeless (Lit: out of medicine to cure).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n
\n