nấy
Definition
- Demonstrative Pronoun: That one; that person; that thing. It refers back to a specific person or thing previously mentioned or implied within the context of a correlative structure.
- Correlative Pronoun: Used in fixed correlative patterns like "ai...nấy", "gì...nấy", "nào...nấy" to mean "each...his/her/its own" or "whoever/whatever...that very one". It emphasizes a one-to-one correspondence or distribution.
Usage
- Nấy is almost never used alone as a standalone word like "that". It is primarily used in specific, fixed correlative structures.
- Its core function is to refer back to an indefinite pronoun (ai, gì, nào, đâu) used earlier in the sentence, creating a paired meaning.
- It is a formal and literary word. In everyday spoken Vietnamese, other structures are often preferred.
Examples
- Ai...nấy: (Each person...his/her own)
- Việc ai nấy làm. (Each person does their own work.)
- Người ai nấy lo. (Let each person worry about their own affairs.)
- Gì...nấy: (Whatever...that very thing)
- Có gì ăn nấy. (Eat whatever is available / That which you have, eat that.)
- Thấy gì lấy nấy. (Take whatever you see.)
- Nào...nấy: (Whichever...that very one)
- Cha nào con nấy. (Like father, like son. / Which father, that son.)
- Nhà nào cửa nấy. (Each house has its own gate. / Every house is separate.)
Advanced Usage
- Đâu...nấy: (Wherever...there)
- Anh đi đâu, tôi theo nấy. (Wherever you go, I will follow there.)
- In proverbs and fixed expressions, nấy can sometimes imply consequence or responsibility.
- Ai làm nấy chịu. (Whoever does it, must bear the consequences / You made your bed, now lie in it.)
Variants and Related Words
- Ấy: A more common and versatile demonstrative pronoun meaning "that". It can often replace nấy in modern usage, though it changes the stylistic tone from literary to neutral.
- Việc ai ấy lo. (Each person worries about their own business.)
- Đó: Another common demonstrative pronoun meaning "that (over there)".
- Kia: Demonstrative pronoun meaning "that (further away)".
Synonyms
- Ấy (that one)
- Người ấy / Cái ấy (that person / that thing) - This is a literal paraphrase of the meaning when nấy is used pronominally.
Related Phrases / Idioms
- Việc ai nấy lo: (idiom) Each person minds their own business.
- Của ai trả nấy: (idiom) To give back to each their own; to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's.
- Ai làm nấy chịu: (idiom) You reap what you sow; you must face the consequences of your actions.
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That [person]; that [thing]
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Sờ đến cái gì đánh rơi cái nấyWhenever one touches something, one lets that thing (it) fall
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Người nào có việc người nấyEach person has a job which is his, each person has his own job
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Việc ai nấy làmEach person has to do his own job
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