Definition

Adverb: - Never; not at all; not in the slightest: Used to strongly emphasize the complete absence or negation of an action, state, or quality. It conveys a sense of absolute denial or non-occurrence.

Usage

• Position in Sentence: Typically placed before the main verb or adjective it modifies to negate it.
• Function: Used for strong, emphatic negation. It is more literary or formal than "không hề" and carries a slightly stronger tone of denial.
• Note: "Chẳng hề" is used to negate verbs and adjectives, indicating something has never happened or is not at all true.

Usage Examples

• With a Verb:
  • Anh ấy chẳng hề quan tâm đến ý kiến của người khác. (He doesn't care at all about other people's opinions.)
  • Tôi chẳng hề biết tin đó cho đến hôm qua. (I had absolutely no knowledge of that news until yesterday.)
• With an Adjective:
  • Cô ấy chẳng hề lo lắng về kết quả. (She is not at all worried about the result.)
  • Căn phòng chẳng hề ấm cúng như tôi tưởng. (The room was not in the least cozy as I had imagined.)

Advanced Usage

• "chẳng hề... một chút nào": not... in the slightest; not... one bit. This structure reinforces the negation for extra emphasis.
  • Lời chỉ trích đó chẳng hề làm anh ấy buồn một chút nào. (That criticism didn't make him sad in the slightest.)

Variants and Related Words

• Không hề (adv): Never; not at all. This is a more common and slightly less formal synonym for "chẳng hề".
  • Nó không hề xin lỗi. (He never apologized.)
• Chẳng (adv): A colloquial negation particle, similar to "không" but more common in Northern Vietnamese speech. It is less emphatic than "chẳng hề" when used alone.
• Hề (adv): An archaic or literary word meaning "ever" or "at all", now almost exclusively used in the negative constructions "không hề" and "chẳng hề".

Synonyms

• Tuyệt đối không: Absolutely not.
• Chưa từng: Never have (used for actions that have never occurred up to the present).
• Không một chút: Not a bit.

Related Idioms

• Chẳng hề chi / Không hề chi: It's nothing; don't mention it (a polite response to "thank you" or "sorry").
  • "Cảm ơn anh đã giúp đỡ." – "Không hề chi." ("Thank you for your help." – "Don't mention it.")

1. Never