à and hả: surprised or checking questions
VietnameseB1 — Intermediate VietnameseSentence-final particles
PatternStatement + à? / hả?
How it works
À at the end turns a statement into a question that checks or shows surprise: Anh là người Úc à? 'Oh, you're Australian?' — the speaker half-expects 'yes'. Hả is the same but more casual (and can sound rude to elders). To elders use ạ instead: Bác về rồi ạ? · Thế ạ? 'Really?' Mistake: using à for neutral questions where có… không is expected, or with question words (Anh đi đâu à? ✗).
Examples
Em không ăn à?You're not eating?
Mai anh về quê à?You're going back home tomorrow?
Thế à? Tôi không biết.Really? I didn't know.
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Practice (8)
Choose
You see your friend packing: 'You're leaving?'
- Cậu đi à?
- Cậu đi đâu à?
- À cậu đi không?
- Cậu à đi?
Show answer
Answer: Cậu đi à?
Statement + à = checking/surprised question. No question word with à.
Statement + à = checking/surprised question. No question word with à.
Choose
Which is WRONG?
- Anh ăn chay à?
- Anh ăn rồi à?
- Anh không ăn à?
- Anh ăn gì à?
Show answer
Answer: Anh ăn gì à?
À does not combine with question words like gì.
À does not combine with question words like gì.
Choose
Which one may sound rude to an elder?
- Thế ạ?
- Bà về ạ?
- Bà về hả?
- Bà về rồi ạ?
Show answer
Answer: Bà về hả?
Hả is casual; to elders use ạ.
Hả is casual; to elders use ạ.
Choose
'Thế à?' means…
- Like this?
- What's that?
- Really? / Is that so?
- Over there?
Show answer
Answer: Really? / Is that so?
Thế à? / Vậy à? reacts to news.
Thế à? / Vậy à? reacts to news.
Fill in
Bạn là người Hà Nội ＿＿? Giọng giống quá!
Hint: Oh, you're from Hanoi? Your accent sounds just like it!
Show answer
Answer: à / hả
Checking question → statement + à.
Checking question → statement + à.
Fill in
Hôm nay chủ nhật mà em vẫn đi làm ＿＿?
Hint: It's Sunday and you're still going to work?
Show answer
Answer: à / hả
Surprise → à / hả.
Surprise → à / hả.
Put in order
Put in order: You haven't eaten yet?
- Em
- à?
- chưa ăn
Show answer
Answer: Em chưa ăn à?
Statement + à.
Statement + à.
Put in order
Put in order: Oh, she's your sister?
- à?
- Cô ấy
- là em gái anh
Show answer
Answer: Cô ấy là em gái anh à?
À checks information you just learned.
À checks information you just learned.