[3] Phạm was born 1881 in Phố Hàng Dầu [vi], Hà Nội in an oil merchant family.

[3] In 1901, Phạm graduated from the French School of Interpreters, and began working for Residential Palace of the Tonkin Governor.

[3] In 1907 he was appointed one of three teachers at the Hội Trí Tri (en: Association for Mutual Education, fr: Société d’Enseignement Mutuel du Tonkin) in Hanoi.

[4] In 1913, Phạm joined the editorial board of the Đông Dương tạp chí — a magazine that actively promoted Quốc ngữ via translated articles from original Chinese and French works, managed by Nguyễn Văn Vĩnh.

[5] He published alongside Confucian writers like Nguyễn Bá Học [vi] in Nam Phong magazine, showing more ability to give straightforward prose unconstrained by classical structures.