Definition

1. Adverb:
   • Never: An emphatic negation indicating that something does not occur at any time, has not occurred, and will not occur. It expresses absolute certainty and is often stronger than "không bao giờ."

Usage Examples

• Adverb:
  • Tôi chẳng bao giờ quên lời hứa của mình. (I never forget my promise.)
  • Chẳng bao giờ có chuyện đó xảy ra. (That never happens.)
  • Anh ấy chẳng bao giờ đến trễ. (He is never late.)

Advanced Usage

• "Chẳng bao giờ" is used for strong, definitive statements about the past, present, or future. It can convey a sense of personal resolve or an objective fact.
  • Tôi chẳng bao giờ thay đổi quyết định. (I never change my decision.)
• It can be used in rhetorical questions to emphasize impossibility.
  • Làm sao tôi chẳng bao giờ nhớ đến? (How could I never remember?)

Variants and Related Words

• Không bao giờ: Also means "never." While often interchangeable, "chẳng bao giờ" can sound more emphatic or literary. "Không bao giờ" is more neutral and common in daily speech.
• Chẳng... bao giờ: The negation "chẳng" can be separated from "bao giờ" with the verb in between, though "chẳng bao giờ" is commonly used as a fixed phrase.
  • Tôi chẳng tin điều đó bao giờ. (I never believe that.)

Synonyms

• Tuyệt đối không: Absolutely not.
• Không một lần nào: Not even once.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Chẳng bao giờ hết: Never runs out, never ends.
  • Cô ấy chẳng bao giờ hết năng lượng. (Her energy never runs out.)

Related Idioms

• Chẳng bao giờ biết người biết ta: (Literally: Never know others nor know oneself) An idiom implying someone is oblivious or lacks self-awareness and understanding of others.
  • Hắn ta kiêu ngạo, chẳng bao giờ biết người biết ta. (He is arrogant and never knows himself or others.)

1. Never