sentence-connecting structures
🟩 1. Không những… mà thậm chí…
🔹 Meaning:
This structure means “Not only… but even…” or “Not only… but also…” in English.
It emphasizes that the second part of the sentence adds something stronger, more surprising, or extreme than the first part.
🔹 Structure:
Không những + [clause A] + mà thậm chí + [clause B]
Sometimes “mà còn” is used instead of “mà thậm chí”, depending on the tone:
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mà còn → neutral, common
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mà thậm chí → stronger, more emphatic
🔹 English equivalents:
-
Not only… but also…
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Not only… but even…
🔹 Examples:
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Anh ấy không những giỏi mà thậm chí còn khiêm tốn.
→ He is not only talented but even humble. -
Cô ấy không những đẹp mà thậm chí còn rất thông minh.
→ She is not only beautiful but also very intelligent. -
Họ không những đến muộn mà thậm chí quên cả tài liệu.
→ They not only arrived late but even forgot the documents.
🔹 Usage note:
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Emphasizes contrast and surprise.
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Often used in formal or written Vietnamese.
🟦 2. Hơn nữa…
🔹 Meaning:
Means “furthermore,” “moreover,” “in addition,” or “besides.”
Used to add extra information that supports or strengthens the previous idea.
🔹 Structure:
[Clause A]. Hơn nữa, [Clause B].
🔹 English equivalents:
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Furthermore,
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Moreover,
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In addition,
🔹 Examples:
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Anh ấy rất chăm chỉ. Hơn nữa, anh ấy luôn giúp đỡ đồng nghiệp.
→ He is very hardworking. Furthermore, he always helps his colleagues. -
Sản phẩm này rẻ. Hơn nữa, chất lượng cũng rất tốt.
→ This product is cheap. Moreover, the quality is also very good. -
Tôi không thích món ăn này. Hơn nữa, nó quá cay.
→ I don’t like this dish. Besides, it’s too spicy.
🔹 Usage note:
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Used in formal speech or writing (like essays, presentations).
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Usually comes at the beginning of a sentence, separated by a comma.
🟨 3. Do đó…
🔹 Meaning:
Means “therefore,” “as a result,” “consequently.”
Used to show cause and effect — the second clause is the result of the first.
🔹 Structure:
[Reason/Cause]. Do đó, [Result/Consequence].
🔹 English equivalents:
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Therefore,
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As a result,
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Hence,
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Consequently,
🔹 Examples:
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Trời mưa to. Do đó, chúng tôi phải ở nhà.
→ It was raining heavily. Therefore, we had to stay home. -
Anh ấy học rất chăm chỉ. Do đó, anh ấy thi đạt điểm cao.
→ He studies very hard. As a result, he gets high scores. -
Công ty không có đủ ngân sách. Do đó, dự án bị hoãn.
→ The company doesn’t have enough budget. Consequently, the project was delayed.
🔹 Usage note:
-
Used in both formal writing and presentations.
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Similar meaning: “Vì thế”, “Vì vậy.”
🟧 4. Tuy nhiên…
🔹 Meaning:
Means “however” or “nevertheless.”
Used to show contrast between two ideas.
🔹 Structure:
[Clause A]. Tuy nhiên, [Clause B].
🔹 English equivalents:
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However,
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Nevertheless,
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Even so,
🔹 Examples:
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Thời tiết hôm nay rất xấu. Tuy nhiên, chúng tôi vẫn đi du lịch.
→ The weather is bad today. However, we still went traveling. -
Anh ấy làm việc rất nhiều. Tuy nhiên, kết quả không tốt.
→ He works a lot. However, the results are not good. -
Tôi thích phim này. Tuy nhiên, tôi nghĩ nó hơi dài.
→ I like this movie. However, I think it’s a bit long.
🔹 Usage note:
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Common in spoken and written Vietnamese.
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Used to soften contrast politely.
🟥 5. Mặt khác…
🔹 Meaning:
Means “on the other hand.”
Used to introduce a different or opposite point of view.
🔹 Structure:
[Clause A]. Mặt khác, [Clause B].
🔹 English equivalents:
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On the other hand,
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In contrast,
🔹 Examples:
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Anh ấy rất thông minh. Mặt khác, anh hơi kiêu ngạo.
→ He is very intelligent. On the other hand, he is a bit arrogant. -
Công việc này có lương cao. Mặt khác, nó rất áp lực.
→ This job pays well. On the other hand, it is very stressful. -
Du lịch mang lại nhiều lợi ích. Mặt khác, nó có thể gây ô nhiễm môi trường.
→ Tourism brings many benefits. On the other hand, it can cause pollution.
🔹 Usage note:
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Used in argumentative essays, discussions, or balanced opinions.
🟪 6. Vì thế… / Vì vậy…
🔹 Meaning:
Means “therefore”, “so”, or “that’s why.”
Also shows cause and result, but more neutral and conversational than “do đó.”
🔹 Structure:
[Reason]. Vì thế / Vì vậy, [Result].
🔹 English equivalents:
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Therefore,
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So,
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That’s why,
🔹 Examples:
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Tôi bị ốm. Vì thế, tôi không đi làm.
→ I was sick. Therefore, I didn’t go to work. -
Anh ấy quên mang áo mưa. Vì vậy, anh bị ướt hết người.
→ He forgot his raincoat. That’s why he got all wet. -
Cô ấy đến muộn. Vì thế, buổi họp đã bắt đầu trước.
→ She came late. So, the meeting started without her.
🔹 Usage note:
-
“Vì thế” and “Vì vậy” are nearly the same.
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“Vì vậy” sounds a bit softer and more common in daily speech.
comparative and figurative structures:
“như thể / như là / dường như / hình như / cứ như…”
🟩 1. như thể → as if / as though
🔹 Meaning:
Used to express a comparison to an unreal or imaginary situation.
It means that something seems or acts as if it were something else, but in fact it is not true.
It often shows exaggeration or imagination.
🔹 Structure:
Subject + Verb + như thể + Clause
Sometimes people add “vậy” or “thế” at the end to make it sound more natural in speech.
🔹 English equivalents:
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As if …
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As though …
🔹 Examples:
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Anh ấy nói như thể anh là chuyên gia.
→ He talks as if he were an expert.
(In reality, he is not an expert.) -
Cô ấy nhìn tôi như thể tôi làm gì sai.
→ She looked at me as if I had done something wrong. -
Anh ta hành động như thể không có ai xung quanh.
→ He behaves as if no one were around.
🔹 Notes:
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The situation after “như thể” is imaginary, unreal, or exaggerated.
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It adds a figurative, sometimes emotional tone.
🟦 2. như là → like / as / as if
🔹 Meaning:
Used to express similarity or example, often in spoken or informal Vietnamese.
It can also make comparisons that are real, not just imaginary.
🔹 Structure:
A + như là + B
🔹 English equivalents:
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Like
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As
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As if
🔹 Examples:
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Trẻ con chơi đùa như là chim non.
→ The children play like baby birds. -
Anh ta nói như là biết mọi chuyện.
→ He talks as if he knows everything. -
Cô ấy hát như là ca sĩ chuyên nghiệp.
→ She sings like a professional singer.
🔹 Notes:
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“Như là” is softer and more common in everyday speech than “như thể.”
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The comparison can be real or imagined, depending on context.
🟨 3. dường như → it seems that / apparently / as if
🔹 Meaning:
Used when the speaker is not sure but has an impression or feeling about something.
It expresses uncertainty or probability based on observation.
🔹 Structure:
Dường như + Clause
🔹 English equivalents:
-
It seems that…
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Apparently…
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As if…
🔹 Examples:
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Dường như trời sắp mưa.
→ It seems that it’s going to rain. -
Dường như cô ấy không vui hôm nay.
→ Apparently, she’s not happy today. -
Anh ấy dường như không hiểu tôi.
→ He seems not to understand me.
🔹 Notes:
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Common in writing, storytelling, and polite speech.
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Shows indirectness or politeness — instead of saying “She is sad,” you say “Dường như cô ấy buồn,” which sounds gentler and less direct.
🟧 4. hình như → seems / looks like / I think / maybe
🔹 Meaning:
Similar to “dường như,” but more common in spoken Vietnamese.
It shows guessing, uncertainty, or personal feeling about something.
🔹 Structure:
Hình như + Clause
🔹 English equivalents:
-
It seems that…
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Looks like…
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I think… / Maybe…
🔹 Examples:
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Hình như anh ấy quên rồi.
→ It seems he forgot. / I think he forgot. -
Hình như cô ấy mệt.
→ She looks tired. / It seems she’s tired. -
Hình như hôm nay có mưa.
→ It looks like it’s raining today.
🔹 Notes:
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Used for subjective observation (based on what you see or feel).
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Often used in daily conversation.
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Softer and less formal than “dường như.”
🟥 5. cứ như → just like / as if / exactly like
🔹 Meaning:
Expresses a strong, vivid comparison — often emotional, surprised, or critical.
It can describe something exactly like another thing, but often in a figurative or exaggerated way.
🔹 Structure:
Subject + Verb + cứ như + Clause / Noun Phrase
🔹 English equivalents:
-
Just like…
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As if…
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Exactly like…
🔹 Examples:
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Anh ấy nói nhiều cứ như cái máy.
→ He talks nonstop, just like a machine. -
Cô ta khóc cứ như trẻ con.
→ She cried like a child. -
Anh ấy làm việc cứ như không biết mệt.
→ He works as if he never gets tired.
🔹 Notes:
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Often used to express surprise, irony, or exaggeration.
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Common in spoken Vietnamese.
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Adding “vậy” or “thế” makes it sound more natural:
→ Anh ta cười cứ như điên vậy. (He laughed like crazy.)
Reasoning and realization structures:
“Hóa ra… / Thì ra… / Có lẽ… / Dường như…”
🟩 1. Hóa ra… → It turns out that… / So that’s what happened…
🔹 Meaning:
Used when the speaker realizes the truth of something that they didn’t know before, or when a situation becomes clear after some confusion.
It expresses surprise, discovery, or understanding after finding out new information.
🔹 Structure:
Hóa ra + Clause
🔹 English equivalents:
-
It turns out that…
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So it turns out…
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So that’s what…
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I realized that…
🔹 Examples:
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Hóa ra anh ấy đã biết từ trước.
→ It turns out that he already knew before. -
Hóa ra cô ấy chính là em gái của anh ta!
→ It turns out she’s his younger sister! -
Tôi cứ tưởng anh giận tôi, hóa ra anh bị ốm.
→ I thought you were angry with me, but it turns out you were sick.
🔹 Notes:
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Expresses a realization after misunderstanding.
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Used in both spoken and written Vietnamese.
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Tone: slightly surprised, sometimes emotional.
🟨 2. Thì ra… → So / So it was… / It turns out…
🔹 Meaning:
Also means realization or discovery, but it is neutral — can be used in both spoken and written language.
Often used when someone finally understands the reason or recognizes someone/something.
🔹 Structure:
Thì ra + Clause
🔹 English equivalents:
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So it was…
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It turns out…
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Now I see that…
🔹 Examples:
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Thì ra anh là bạn của Lan!
→ So you’re Lan’s friend! -
Thì ra đây là lý do anh không nói gì.
→ So this is why you didn’t say anything. -
Thì ra anh ta không hề biết chuyện đó.
→ It turns out he didn’t know that at all.
🔹 Notes:
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Softer than “hóa ra.”
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Common in narrative storytelling (when a truth is revealed).
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Can be used emotionally or neutrally.
🟧 3. Có lẽ… → Maybe / Probably / Perhaps
🔹 Meaning:
Used when the speaker makes a guess or inference about something uncertain, based on available clues.
It does not express surprise — instead, it expresses probability.
🔹 Structure:
Có lẽ + Clause
🔹 English equivalents:
-
Maybe…
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Probably…
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Perhaps…
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It might be that…
🔹 Examples:
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Có lẽ hôm nay trời sẽ mưa.
→ Maybe it will rain today. -
Có lẽ anh ấy chưa đến.
→ He probably hasn’t arrived yet. -
Có lẽ cô ấy đang bận.
→ Perhaps she’s busy.
🔹 Notes:
-
Shows uncertainty, but still based on logical reasoning.
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Neutral tone — very common in all situations.
🟥 4. Dường như… → It seems that / Apparently / As if
🔹 Meaning:
Used when the speaker is not sure, but something appears to be true based on observation or impression.
It is softer and more formal than “có lẽ.”
🔹 Structure:
Dường như + Clause
🔹 English equivalents:
-
It seems that…
-
Apparently…
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As if…
🔹 Examples:
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Dường như cô ấy không vui hôm nay.
→ It seems she’s not happy today. -
Dường như họ đã quên cuộc hẹn.
→ Apparently, they forgot the appointment. -
Dường như trời sắp mưa.
→ It seems like it’s going to rain.
🔹 Notes:
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Shows uncertainty, but more observational (based on how something looks or feels).
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Often used in literature, polite speech, or formal writing.
