rồi
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
rồi means already; then.
Meanings of rồi in English
Particle
- already
- lâu rồi không gặplong time no see
Adverb
- then; afterwards
Interjection
- OK; all right; yeah
- acknowledges an item in a list of requests, such as when taking an order
Verb
- to finish
Adjective
- colloquial last (week, year, etc.); that just passed
Example sentences with rồi
- Anh đã đọc hết nó rồi à? Did you read it all?
- Tom và Mary đã ở đó rồi. Tom and Mary are already there.
- Đến lúc tắt ti vi rồi đó. It's about time you stopped watching television.
- Ồ! Đã từ lâu lâu lắm rồi. Wow! It's been a long time.
- Bạn nói với anh ấy rồi á? Have you told him already?
- Thu dọn đồ đạc rồi đi đi. Pack your things and leave.
- Có thể anh bị cảm nhẹ rồi. You may have a slight fever.
- Bạn có thể bắt đầu rồi đó. You can start.
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, rồi could be written as 耒, 𬩧. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Usage note: rồi
rồi is one of the most frequent words in spoken Vietnamese. Its core meaning is "already, done", but it does more.
- Already: Tôi ăn rồi. — I've already eaten. Muộn rồi! — It's late (now)!
- Yes, done — the answer to a chưa question: Anh xong chưa? — Rồi. — Done.
- Then, after that: Ăn sáng rồi đi làm. — Eat breakfast, then go to work.
- "OK, alright" to close a topic: Rồi, rồi, em hiểu rồi. — OK, OK, I get it.
At the end of a sentence with an adjective, rồi signals a change of state: Đẹp rồi! — It looks good now! Hết tiền rồi. — I'm out of money (now).
✗ Answering Anh ăn cơm chưa? with Có → ✓ Rồi or Ăn rồi. "Yes" to a chưa question is always rồi.
Frequently asked questions
What does rồi mean in English?
rồi (particle) means "already; then".
How do you pronounce rồi?
IPA: Hanoi [zoj˨˩]; Saigon [ɹoj˨˩]. Tones: rồi — falling tone (huyền).