Vietnamese grammar is incredibly straightforward compared to many European languages.

You don’t need to memorize complicated verb conjugations to express different times.

Instead, Vietnamese uses simple tense markers placed directly in front of the verb.

The three main tense markers you need to know are đã (past), đang (present continuous), and sẽ (future).

I’ll explain exactly how to use these markers with clear examples below.

The basics of Vietnamese verbs

In Vietnamese, verbs never change their spelling or pronunciation.

The word for “eat” is always ăn, whether you ate yesterday, are eating right now, or will eat tomorrow.

You simply add a separate word right before the verb to indicate the time.

These small words are called tense markers.

Past tense marker: đã

You use the word đã to show that an action happened in the past.

You place it immediately before the main verb in your sentence.

Sometimes, Vietnamese speakers add the word rồi at the very end of a past tense sentence.

The word rồi means “already”.

Adding it emphasizes that the action is completely finished.

Present tense marker: đang

The word đang indicates that an action is currently happening right now.

It’s the exact equivalent of the “-ing” continuous verb form in English.

Just like the past tense marker, đang goes directly in front of the verb.

If you want to say you do something as a general habit, you don’t use đang.

You only use đang for actions taking place at this exact moment.

Future tense marker: sẽ

The word sẽ is used to express that an action will happen in the future.

It works exactly like the word “will” in English.

Place sẽ right before the verb to form your future tense sentence.

When to drop tense markers

Vietnamese is a heavily context-dependent language.

This means you don’t always need to use tense markers if the time is already obvious.

If your sentence includes a specific time word, the tense marker becomes completely optional.

Here are a few common time words that naturally establish the tense of a sentence.

Because the time word provides the context, native speakers often drop đã, đang, or sẽ to speak more quickly.

Both versions of the sentence are perfectly correct.

If you’re ever unsure, it’s always safe to include the tense markers.

As you listen to more native speakers, you’ll naturally get a feel for when to drop them.