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Prepositions, Conjunctions & Complex Sentences

Coverbs/prepositions, conjunctions and subordinate clause structure
Tiền động từ (coverb) hoạt động như giới từ
Coverbs function like prepositions but derive from verbs
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Historically these words were full verbs before grammaticalizing
trên, dưới, trong, ngoài
on, under, inside, outside
chen, zuh-oo-uh, chawng, ngwai
Basic location coverbs
trước, sau
before, after (time/place)
chuh-uk, sow
Used for both temporal and spatial "before/after"
ở trên bàn
on top of the table
uh chen ban
Compound location phrase combining ở + trên
khi, vì, nếu, mặc dù
when, because, if, although
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Core subordinating conjunctions
mặc dù...nhưng
although...(but)
muk zoo...nyung
Vietnamese often keeps "nhưng" even after "although"
rằng/là trong lời nói gián tiếp
reported speech with rằng/là
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No tense-mood shift is required, unlike in English
Trật tự từ trong mệnh đề phụ giống mệnh đề chính
Word order in subordinate clauses matches main clauses
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No verb-final rule, unlike German subordinate clauses
mà
relative clause marker (that/which/who)
ma
Introduces a clause describing a preceding noun
Người mà tôi gặp
the person that I met
nguh-oy ma toy gup
mà links the relative clause back to "người"