nếu

Level ≈A1 (approx.) conjunction Top 1,000 most common

Hanoi [new˧˦]Huế [new˨˩˦]Saigon [new˦˥] browser voice

Syllables · tones

nếurisingsắc

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

nếu means if.

Meanings of nếu in English

Conjunction

if (supposing that)

Example sentences with nếu

Anh ấy sẽ đến nếu bạn gọi. He will come if you call him.
Nếu dễ thì ai cũng làm được. If it was easy, anybody could do it.
Hãy để tôi giúp bạn, nếu cần. Let me help you, if necessary.
Hãy gọi nếu có chuyện rắc rối. Call if there's trouble.
Nếu tôi nhầm, hãy sửa cho tôi. If I'm mistaken, correct me.
Nếu bạn không thể bay, hãy chạy. If you can't fly, then run.
Nó xa đấy nếu đi bộ. It’s a long way on foot.
Em sẽ giúp nếu có thể. I'd help if I could.

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

Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)

Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, nếu could be written as 裊, 𡀮. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Frequently asked questions

What does nếu mean in English?

nếu (conjunction) means "if".

How do you pronounce nếu?

IPA: Hanoi [new˧˦]; Saigon [new˦˥]. Tones: nếu — rising tone (sắc).

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.