Significado
Expressing fear about something.
Contexto cultural
Fear of ghosts (ma) is very common and socially acceptable to admit, even for adults. It's often discussed in a casual, non-judgmental way. The concept of 'Sợ vợ' (fearing the wife) is a humorous cultural trope. It doesn't mean actual fear, but rather that the husband respects and listens to his wife. Directly saying 'I'm afraid' can be a polite way to say 'No' without being rude, helping to save 'face' for the other person. During Tet, people 'sợ' saying negative words like 'chết' (death) or 'mất' (lost) to avoid bad luck for the year.
The 'Là' Trick
If you want to say 'I'm afraid that...', just add 'là' after 'sợ'. It makes you sound much more natural.
Pronoun Power
Never forget to change 'Tôi' to 'Em', 'Anh', or 'Cháu' when talking to people you know. 'Tôi' is only for strangers or formal settings.
Significado
Expressing fear about something.
The 'Là' Trick
If you want to say 'I'm afraid that...', just add 'là' after 'sợ'. It makes you sound much more natural.
Pronoun Power
Never forget to change 'Tôi' to 'Em', 'Anh', or 'Cháu' when talking to people you know. 'Tôi' is only for strangers or formal settings.
Intensify it!
Add 'phát khiếp' after 'sợ' (Sợ phát khiếp) to say you are 'scared to death' or 'terrified'.
Sợ Vợ is Okay
Don't be offended if someone calls you 'sợ vợ'. In Vietnam, it's often a compliment to your character as a husband!
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the blank with the correct word to say 'I am afraid of dogs'.
Tôi ___ chó.
'Sợ' is the verb for fear. 'Lo' is worry, 'ghét' is hate, and 'muốn' is want.
How do you say 'I'm afraid that it will rain'?
Choose the best sentence:
All these forms are grammatically correct and common in Vietnamese.
Match the Vietnamese phrase with its English meaning.
Match these:
These are common phobias using the 'Tôi sợ' pattern.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Bạn có muốn đi leo núi không? B: Không, tôi ___ độ cao.
The context of declining a mountain climbing trip implies a fear of heights.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Sợ vs. Lo
Degrees of Fear
Mild
- • E ngại
- • Lo lo
Standard
- • Sợ
- • Sợ hãi
Extreme
- • Kinh hãi
- • Hoảng hốt
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosTôi ___ chó.
'Sợ' is the verb for fear. 'Lo' is worry, 'ghét' is hate, and 'muốn' is want.
Choose the best sentence:
All these forms are grammatically correct and common in Vietnamese.
Empareja cada elemento de la izquierda con su par de la derecha:
These are common phobias using the 'Tôi sợ' pattern.
A: Bạn có muốn đi leo núi không? B: Không, tôi ___ độ cao.
The context of declining a mountain climbing trip implies a fear of heights.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
14 preguntasYes, it is neutral. However, using the correct pronoun instead of 'Tôi' makes it much more polite.
Yes, 'Tôi sợ là tôi không đến được' is a very common and polite way to decline.
'Sợ' is the general verb. 'Hãi' is usually used in the compound 'sợ hãi' to describe a state of intense fear.
You say 'Đừng sợ'.
In some contexts, yes. 'Sợ' can imply a deep respect that borders on awe, especially toward elders or deities.
Yes, 'Sợ vãi' is very common among young people, but it's slightly rude.
Say 'Tôi sợ độ cao'.
Yes, 'Tôi sợ bóng tối' or 'Tôi sợ tối'.
It means 'scary' or 'frightening'. For example: 'Con ma này đáng sợ quá!'
It's a cultural joke about husbands who are very obedient to their wives.
Yes, but 'e ngại' or 'lo ngại' is often preferred for a more professional tone.
No, Vietnamese verbs don't change. You can add 'đã' (Tôi đã sợ) but it's usually clear from context.
The opposite is 'can đảm' (brave) or 'không sợ' (not afraid).
It's a short 'suh' sound with a very low, heavy tone. Imagine you are pushing the sound down into your chest.
Frases relacionadas
Lo lắng
similarTo worry
E ngại
specialized formTo be hesitant/concerned
Kinh hãi
builds onTerrified
Đáng sợ
builds onScary
Sợ gì
contrastFear what?
