chẳng là
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: chả là
Sense 1
Meaning · English
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see chẳng, là.
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Examples
Mày chẳng/chả là cái cóc khô gì cả !You ain't a damn thing!
Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sources & notes
Imported from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); community review pending. source ↗
Sense 2
Meaning · English
so, what happened was; so, this is what happened
Examples
Tôi không đến họp, chẳng là tôi nhận được điện phải đi ngay.I can’t make it to the meeting because I got a call and had to go.
Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Common questions
What does “chẳng là” mean?
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see chẳng, là.
Is “chẳng là” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.