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ai
/aːj˧/
who
Ai đó đã gọi cho bạn.
Someone called you.
formal
Used to ask for information about a person or people.
Ai là người đứng đầu công ty?
Who is the head of the company?
Bạn đang nói chuyện với ai vậy?
Who are you talking to?
Used in questions to inquire about identity. Can also be used in statements to indicate a person of unspecified identity.
informal
Used to refer to a person or people in general, often with an indefinite sense.
Ai cũng biết điều đó.
Everyone knows that.
Nếu ai đến, hãy bảo họ chờ.
If anyone comes, tell them to wait.
Common in proverbs and general statements.
Pro Tip
Question Formation
In Vietnamese, 'ai' is often used at the beginning of questions to ask about people. For example, 'Ai đến?' means 'Who is coming?'
Gold Rule
Indefinite Pronoun
When 'ai' is used in a general sense (e.g., 'Ai cũng thích nó'), it translates to 'anyone' or 'everyone' in English.
Word Origin
From Proto-Vietic *ʔaːj, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *ʔaːj. Related to Muong ai and other Austroasiatic languages.
Usage Notes
In questions, 'ai' is typically placed at the beginning or after the verb. In statements, it can function as a subject, object, or indirect object.
Từ Điển Việt Anh