Significado
Expressing a state of sadness
Contexto cultural
Sadness is a major theme in Vietnamese 'Bolero' music. It is seen as a deep, soulful emotion that connects people through shared hardship. Young Vietnamese people often use 'buồn' in a lighthearted or 'aesthetic' way on Instagram, often using the English word 'mood' or 'sad' alongside it. In the South, people might use 'buồn' more frequently in casual speech for small disappointments, whereas in the North, it might be reserved for slightly more significant feelings. The word 'buồn' is often paired with 'sầu' (sorrow) in literature to create the compound 'buồn sầu', indicating a much heavier, more permanent state of grief.
Use 'hơi'
Add 'hơi' before 'buồn' to sound more natural and less dramatic in daily life.
Avoid 'là'
Never say 'Tôi là buồn'. It's the most common beginner mistake!
Significado
Expressing a state of sadness
Use 'hơi'
Add 'hơi' before 'buồn' to sound more natural and less dramatic in daily life.
Avoid 'là'
Never say 'Tôi là buồn'. It's the most common beginner mistake!
Pronoun Power
Change 'Tôi' to 'Mình' when talking to friends to sound much more like a native.
Listen for the tone
The falling tone of 'buồn' itself sounds 'sad' and heavy. Use that to help you remember the meaning.
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the blank with the correct word to say 'I feel sad'.
Tôi ___ buồn.
In Vietnamese, 'thấy' is used with adjectives to express how you feel.
Which sentence means 'I feel sad because I miss my mother'?
Select the correct translation:
'Buồn' is sad, 'buồn ngủ' is sleepy, and 'buồn chán' is bored.
Complete the dialogue naturally.
A: Sao cậu khóc thế? B: Tớ ___ ___ vì vừa làm hỏng điện thoại.
Crying (khóc) and breaking a phone (làm hỏng điện thoại) indicate sadness.
Match the feeling to the situation.
Situation: You are watching a very sad ending of a movie.
A sad movie ending triggers 'buồn' (sadness).
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Intensity of Sadness
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosTôi ___ buồn.
In Vietnamese, 'thấy' is used with adjectives to express how you feel.
Select the correct translation:
'Buồn' is sad, 'buồn ngủ' is sleepy, and 'buồn chán' is bored.
A: Sao cậu khóc thế? B: Tớ ___ ___ vì vừa làm hỏng điện thoại.
Crying (khóc) and breaking a phone (làm hỏng điện thoại) indicate sadness.
Situation: You are watching a very sad ending of a movie.
A sad movie ending triggers 'buồn' (sadness).
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasIt is neutral. You can use it with almost anyone. For more formal settings, use 'Tôi cảm thấy buồn'.
Yes, 'Tôi buồn' is very common and slightly more direct. 'Tôi thấy buồn' is more about your perception of the feeling.
'Buồn' is sadness/sorrow. 'Buồn chán' is boredom. Don't mix them up!
You can say 'Tôi thấy buồn lắm' or 'Tôi thấy rất buồn'.
In some dialects or specific phrases like 'buồn buồn' (ticklish), yes, but 'Tôi thấy buồn' always means sad.
No. For 'I'm sorry', use 'Tôi xin lỗi' or 'Tôi lấy làm tiếc'.
The meaning is the same everywhere, but the pronunciation of 'buồn' will vary slightly between Hanoi and Saigon.
The opposite is 'vui' (happy/fun).
Only if you have a very close relationship. Otherwise, it might be too personal.
'Thấy' is shorter and more common in spoken Vietnamese. 'Cảm thấy' is more formal and written.
Frases relacionadas
Tôi cảm thấy buồn
similarI feel sad (more formal)
Tôi buồn quá
synonymI am so sad
Tôi thấy vui
contrastI feel happy
Tôi thấy buồn chán
specialized formI feel bored
Tôi thấy thất vọng
builds onI feel disappointed
