In Vietnamese, we use vì and nên to talk about cause and effect.
Cause
We use vì to explain causes, like “because” in English.
Structure
Place vì before the cause.
vì + cause
We can state the effect first by placing it before vì and then explain the cause:
effect + vì + cause
An alternative to vì is bởi vì (same meaning).
bởi vì + cause
Examples
Effect
We use nên to present effects, like “so” in English.
Structure
Place nên before the effect.
nên + effect
We can state the cause first by placing it before nên and then present the effect:
cause + nên + effect
An alternative to nên is cho nên (same meaning).
cho nên + effect
Examples
Correlative conjunctions
We can use both conjunctions in tandem to indicate cause and effect more clearly. Although it sounds weird to use “because” and “so” together in English, it’s perfectly normal and very common in Vietnamese.
Structure
vì + cause + nên + effect
If bởi vì is used, the counterpart should be cho nên, and vice versa, to ensure harmony (both are two-syllable).
bởi vì + cause + cho nên + effect