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bao giờ

Level ≈A1 (approx.) adverb Top 1,000 most common
Hanoi [ʔɓaːw˧˧ zəː˨˩]Huế [ʔɓaːw˧˧ jəː˦˩]Saigon [ʔɓaːw˧˧ jəː˨˩] browser voice
Syllables · tones
baolevelnganggiờfallinghuyền

Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →

bao giờ means when.

Meanings of bao giờ in English

Adverb

  1. when, how long until ≈ khi nàochừng nào
    • Bao giờ bạn về?When will you come home?
  2. with negative, question ever, at some unspecified time
    • không bao giờnever
    • chẳng bao giờnever
    • chả bao giờnever

Words with bao giờ

không bao giờ

Example sentences with bao giờ

  • Tôi chưa bao giờ nằm mơ cả. I never dream.
  • Chưa bao giờ là muộn để học. It is never too late to learn.
  • Đừng bao giờ ăn cháo đá bát. Never bite the hand that feeds you.
  • Bạn đã bao giờ vắt cam chưa? Have you ever squeezed an orange?
  • Tôi chưa đi máy bay bao giờ. I've never traveled by airplane.
  • Anh ấy chưa bao giờ yêu tôi. He never loved me.
  • Tôi chưa bao giờ ăn bằng đũa. I have never eaten with chopsticks.
  • Bạn chẳng bao giờ tin tôi cả. You never believed me.

Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).

Usage note: bao giờ

bao giờ means "when", and its position changes the time meaning — a classic trap for learners.

  • At the start = future: Bao giờ anh về? — When will you come back?
  • At the end = past: Anh về bao giờ? — When did you come back?

The same rule applies to khi nào. If you are unsure, add a time marker: sẽ for future, đã/rồi for past.

Other uses:

  • không bao giờ = never (in general): Tôi không bao giờ uống rượu. — I never drink alcohol.
  • chưa bao giờ = never (so far): Tôi chưa bao giờ đi Hà Giang. — I've never been to Ha Giang.
  • bao giờ cũng = always: Cô ấy bao giờ cũng vui vẻ. — She's always cheerful.

bao giờ sounds more Northern; in the South chừng nào and khi nào are more common.

Etymology

bao (“how many”) + giờ (“hour”).

Frequently asked questions

What does bao giờ mean in English?

bao giờ (adverb) means "when".

How do you pronounce bao giờ?

IPA: Hanoi [ʔɓaːw˧˧ zəː˨˩]; Saigon [ʔɓaːw˧˧ jəː˨˩]. Tones: bao — level tone (ngang), giờ — falling tone (huyền).

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited; example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). IPA shown for three accents: Hanoi (Northern), Huế (Central) and Saigon (Southern). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice, for reference only. Levels are approximate, estimated from word frequency. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.