Vocapedia
Log inTry for Free

Looking up...

Words

  • Words of the Year
  • Recent Lookups
  • My Dictionary

Languages

  • English
  • Vietnamese
  • Japanese
  • Chinese
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Korean
  • German

Features

  • Words of the Year
  • My Collections List
  • Reviews
  • Learning Resources
  • Community Collections

Learn

  • How It Works
  • Study Guides
  • Language Tips
  • FAQ
  • Getting Started
  • For Individuals
  • For Teachers

Community

  • Forum
  • Blog
  • Help Center
  • Partnerships

About

  • About Vocapedia
  • Contact Us
  • Feedback

Legal

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility
  • GDPR Compliance
© 2026 Vocapedia. All rights reserved.

nào

/naːw˨˩/
pronoundetermineradverb★Beginner💡 which
informal

Used to ask for a selection or choice among options.

Bạn muốn uống gì nào?

What would you like to drink?

Mình đi đâu chơi nào?

Where should we go?

💡

Often used at the end of questions to soften tone or invite agreement.

informal

Used to emphasize a question or express surprise.

Sao lại thế nào?

How come? / What happened?

Nó thế nào rồi?

How is it now?

💡

Can imply concern or curiosity about a situation.

informal

Used in exclamations to express surprise or disbelief.

Nào, thật không?

Really? / No way!

💡

Similar to 'what' or 'how' in English exclamations.

Collocations

cái nàowhich onethứ nàowhich thinglúc nàowhensao nàohow

Synonyms

cái gìthứ gì

💡Pro Tip

Softening Questions

Add 'nào' at the end of questions to make them sound more polite or friendly. E.g., 'Bạn muốn ăn gì nào?' (What would you like to eat?) instead of 'Bạn muốn ăn gì?' (What do you want to eat?).

⚡Gold Rule

Question Formation

Use 'nào' after interrogative words (e.g., 'gì', 'đâu', 'khi') to specify choices. E.g., 'Cái gì nào?' (Which thing?), 'Ở đâu nào?' (Where exactly?).

📖Word Origin

From Old Chinese *náw (哪), cognate with Mandarin 哪 (nǎ), Cantonese 呢 (ne1), and Thai ไหน (nǎi).

📝Usage Notes

1. 'Nào' is versatile and used in questions, exclamations, and sometimes statements to seek clarification or express surprise. 2. It often appears at the end of questions for politeness or to invite agreement. 3. Avoid overusing it in formal writing; replace with more specific interrogative words (e.g., 'khi nào' for 'when').

Word Breakdown

nào
which/what (interrogative particle)
root
Từ Điển Việt Anh

Learning Progress

Track your learning journey!

• Save words to build your vocabulary

• Monitor your daily streak

• Get personalized review reminders

• See words learned statistics

Log in to access advanced features and track your progress!

Go to Dashboard →

Words of the Year

The most notable words that defined each year. Discover the vocabulary that shaped our world.