Definition

Adverb: At once; without any delay. Used to indicate that an action follows or should follow immediately after another event or command.

Usage Examples

• Adverb:
  • Khi nghe thấy tiếng chuông, anh ấy lập tức trả lời. (When he heard the bell, he answered immediately.)
  • Chúng ta phải rời đi lập tức. (We must leave at once.)
  • Cô ấy lập tức đồng ý với đề nghị. (She agreed to the proposal immediately.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to emphasize urgency in formal instructions or warnings.
  • Tất cả nhân viên phải lập tức sơ tán toà nhà. (All personnel must evacuate the building immediately.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ngay lập tức (adv): A more emphatic form meaning "right away" or "instantly." It is often interchangeable with "lập tức."

  • Tôi sẽ đến ngay lập tức. (I will come right away.)

• Tức thì (adv): A more literary synonym meaning "instantaneous" or "forthwith."

  • Yêu cầu được thực hiện tức thì. (The request was carried out instantaneously.)

Synonyms

• Immediately: Without any intervening time.
• At once: Instantly and without delay.
• Right away: Immediately; without hesitation.
• Instantly: At that very moment.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Lập tức và khẩn trương: Immediately and urgently. Used in formal or military contexts to stress both speed and seriousness.
  • Nhiệm vụ phải được hoàn thành lập tức và khẩn trương. (The mission must be completed immediately and urgently.)

adv

1. at once, immediately