69 Vietnamese Phrases Every Traveller Should Know
Going to Vietnam? This Vietnamese phrase guide is the perfect travellers companion. Experience the best of Vietnam, make friends, and avoid being lost in translation.
Before you take that trip to Vietnam, you should definitely learn some survival Vietnamese phrases. This travel phrase guide teaches you over 60 useful phrases that will help you get around, make friends, order food, ask for directions and ensure you have an amazing time in Vietnam.
To help me create this new addition to my collection of free travel phrase guides , I asked my friend and Vietnamese speaker Trang from Travel with Trang to provide accurate Vietnamese translations and pronunciation tips. She’s even provided audio clips for each phrase to make things even easier for you.
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Let’s take a closer look at the Vietnamese language. Here’s what we’ll cover:
Table of Contents
Where is vietnamese spoken, how many people speak vietnamese, vietnamese alphabet, vietnamese pronunciation, vietnamese tonal system, vietnamese grammar.
- Getting Around
- Emergencies
- Useful Vietnamese Phrases for Travellers [Infographic]
Not only is Vietnamese the official language of Vietnam, but it is also widely spoken in areas where the Vietnamese have immigrated, including Australia , France , the United States , South East Asia, and Western Europe. Vietnamese has also been officially recognised as a minority language in the Czech Republic.
Vietnamese is one of the most spoken languages in the world with approximately 85 million speakers worldwide.
Rice field in Vietnam
Vietnamese uses the same alphabet as Latin languages with a few modifications which include tone and vowel markers. French missionaries changed the written language from Chinese characters in the 17th-century, but their system didn’t become widespread until the 20th-century. Because of this shift to the Roman alphabet, learning to read and write Vietnamese is much easier than most other Asian languages.
The Vietnamese alphabet has a 29-letter phonetic alphabet which includes all letters of in the English alphabet except j, f, w, and z. Vietnamese has 12 vowels and 17 consonants as shown below.
Vietnamese spelling is phonetic and very similar to Portuguese (which it is based on). Once you figure out how to pronounce each letter and tone, you will have a pretty good grasp of how to correctly pronounce Vietnamese words. Compared to English, Vietnamese has few exceptions to these rules. There are three main varieties of spoken Vietnamese including Northern (used around Hanoi), which is quite different from Southern (Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City ), and Central (Hue) Vietnamese. This guide used the Northern (Hanoi) pronunciation.
If you listen closely to a Vietnamese speaker, you will notice that some words are pronounced with a high or low pitch and other sound more musical. This is because Vietnamese uses tones to make distinctions between words. Other tonal languages include Norwegian , Swedish and Thai , just to name a few. Vietnamese syllables can have six different tones, with five of them indicated by tone marks applied to the syllable’s main vowel. Tone marks can be combined with the other diacritics.
Here’s an example of the letter a’ with it’s various sounds a – flat á – high rising; example: đấy, like saying “day?” à – low ã – creaky ả – falling, then rising ạ – a low “a’ah”
Because tones are so important in being correctly understood, Trang and I have included audio clips for each phrase to help you with your pronunciation.
One of the fascinating things about the Vietnamese is its grammar. As a whole, Vietnamese grammar is very simple in that nouns and adjectives don’t have genders and verbs aren’t conjugated. This is a welcome change for learners of European languages such as French, Italian, and Spanish where you live and die by nailing these rules.
Vietnamese has its own quirks, if you will, that I find super interesting. For example, it might sound strange but Vietnamese is spoken almost entirely in the second and third persons. So, instead of saying “I think you are very beautiful” to a girl you like, you might say, “This older male thinks you (the younger female) very beautiful”.
To Western ears, talking in the third person can sound very pretentious, but to Vietnamese ears it is totally normal. Vietnamese has a word for “I”, (tôi) but it’s only used in formal situations such as public speaking, talking to a TV camera, or writing a book. Foreigners, naturally tend to use tôi in conversation, which to Vietnamese ears sounds unnatural but they understand why we do it and almost expect it.
In addition to this, there is a proper way to refer to yourself and others depends. This all depends on hierarchy, age, and sex. Many of these terms have literal translations that refer to family relationships, though they are used for all people on all occasions. Without going into too much detail for each, it’s important to be aware of such distinction. Options include:
- Bạn- friend, pronounced “bhang” with a heavy A
- Con – child, pronounced “ghone”
- Em – literally, younger person, generally reserved for a younger sister, younger female relative, or a younger female acquaintance. This is the equivalent of “my dear”.
- Anh – older brother
- Chị – older sister – woman older than you by up to 10-20 years
- Chú (literally, “Mister” with implications toward “uncle”)
- Cô (literally, “Miss” or “Young Mrs.” – woman older than you by 10+ years)
- Bác (unisex term, used for both Sir and Madam, – refers to a mature person, generally 40 to 60 years old)
- Ông (literally, “old gentleman”, grandfather)
- Bà (literally, “Madam” or “elderly lady”, grandmother)
Useful Vietnamese Phrases for Travellers
P.S. If you’re reading this on your phone and can’t see the pronunciation column, turn it to landscape mode. For some reason, tables aren’t mobile friendly. Sorry!
Useful Vietnamese Phrases for Travellers [ Infographic]
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Sources VietnamesePod101 | Instant Vietnamese | Survival Vietnamese | Wikipedia | Lonely Planet Vietnamese Phrasebook & Dictionary
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Over to you!
Which of these Vietnamese phrases did you find the most useful? Are you planning a trip to Vietnam or have already been? Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post. Like what you see? Subscribe using the form below to have all of my posts delivered directly to your email.
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Michele creates language learning guides and courses for travel. What separates her from other instructors is her ability to explain complex grammar in a no-nonsense, straightforward manner using her unique 80/20 method. Get her free guide 9 reasons you’re not fluent…YET & how to fix it! Planning a trip? Learn the local language with her 80/20 method for less than the cost of eating at a tourist trap restaurant Start learning today!
Survival Dutch Travel Phrase Guide with Pronunciation
69 most-used swedish travel phrases with pronunciation [plus audio].
Very good word lists! Useful with the correct Viet spelling and pronounciation sound files make it much easier to read and remember the ăccents used! I like the variety of words in each list and I know after studying these word lists that my knowledge of Viet will have grown significantly and thanks to the study I’ve been doing on these word lists my reading has improved and so has my pronounciation! I’d like it if the were word lists for Romance, Nightclubs and other activities. All together a lot of thought went into this work and I am grateful for it!
Hey Chris! Thank you so much for your lovely feedback 🙂 I’m so glad you found it useful. Duly noted on the translations. It’s hard to know when to stop putting in phrases/words. The idea is just to get the language juices flowing for those new to the language and using it for travel.
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Speak Like a Local: Handy Vietnamese Phrases for Tourists
If you’re gearing up for a journey to the vibrant and captivating Vietnam, you’re in for an unforgettable experience.
To make your adventure even more seamless and enriching, I’ve put together a list of 100 essential Vietnamese phrases.
Whether it’s haggling in a bustling market, ordering a delicious bowl of phở, or simply making new friends along the way, these phrases will be your trusty companion.
- 1 First Thing First, Nailing the Vietnamese Pronunciation
- 2.1 Greetings
- 2.2 Basic Questions
- 2.3 Directions and Transportation
- 2.4 Dining and Food
- 2.5 Shopping
- 2.6 Activities and Sightseeing
- 2.7 Emergency and Health
First Thing First, Nailing the Vietnamese Pronunciation
Let’s talk about getting those words just right.
Pronunciation can be a bit tricky, but it’s super important for making sure the locals understand what you’re saying. After all, saying the right words the wrong way might lead to some funny looks!
You might find that many folks in Vietnam don’t speak much English. That’s why knowing a few key Vietnamese phrases can be a total game-changer. And don’t worry, we’ve got a cool trick to help you out.
Ever heard of Google Translate?
It’s this nifty tool that’s gotten good at helping with languages, thanks to some smart tech stuff called AI.
As someone who knows Vietnamese, I can tell you that if you sound close to what Google Translate says, most people in Vietnam will get what you’re trying to say.
For each phrase in our list, we’ve included a link to Google Translate. Click it to hear how the phrase sounds and practice saying it yourself.
Or, if you want to explore more, just copy and paste the phrase into Google Translate and hit the speaker button to listen. Easy-peasy!
Oh, and to make things even simpler, we’ve added a screenshot showing you how to use Google Translate.
98 Must-Know Vietnamese Phrases for Your Adventure
Alright, let’s dive into the heart of our Vietnamese language journey!
We’re starting with the basics, cruising through essential transportation phrases, savoring the food-related ones, and winding up with those all-important emergency phrases.
Think of this as your go-to guide for smooth conversations in Vietnam. And I’m all ears if you think I’ve missed something fun or important.
So, let’s jump right in and start speaking like a pro!
Note: Simply click on any Vietnamese phrase in our list, and you’ll zip right over to Google Translate. There, you can hear exactly how to pronounce each word.
- Hello = Xin chào
- Goodbye = Tạm biệt
- Please = Làm ơn
- Thank you = Cảm ơn
- Yes = Vâng/Có
- No = Không
- Excuse me/Sorry = Xin lỗi
- I don’t understand = Tôi không hiểu
- Good morning = Chào buổi sáng
- Good night = Chúc ngủ ngon
- Have a nice day = Chúc bạn một ngày tốt lành
- Happy birthday = Chúc mừng sinh nhật
- Congratulations = Chúc mừng
- I’m from… = Tôi đến từ…
- I’m lost = Tôi lạc
- Nice to meet you = Rất vui được gặp bạn
- I’m here on vacation = Tôi đến đây du lịch
Basic Questions
- What’s your name? = Bạn tên là gì?
- My name is… = Tên tôi là…
- Where is the bathroom? = Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu?
- How much is this? = Cái này giá bao nhiêu?
- Can I get a discount? = Bạn có giảm giá không?
- What is this? = Cái gì vậy?
- Can you help me? = Bạn có thể giúp tôi không?
- Where am I? = Tôi đang ở đâu?
- Can I use your phone? = Tôi có thể dùng điện thoại của bạn không?
- What time is it? = Bây giờ là mấy giờ?
- Is this the right way to…? = Đây có phải là đường đến… không?
- Can you show me on the map? = Bạn có thể chỉ cho tôi trên bản đồ không?
- Where can I find a taxi? = Tôi có thể tìm taxi ở đâu?
- Can I try this? = Tôi có thể thử cái này không?
- What’s the best local dish? = Món ngon nhất ở đây là gì?
- Are there any vegetarian options? = Ở đây có món chay không?
- Is this gluten-free? = Món này có đường không?
- Where’s the closest pharmacy? = Nhà thuốc gần nhất ở đâu?
- Can I have the Wi-Fi password? = Cho tôi xin mật khẩu Wi-Fi
- Do you have a room available? = Bạn có phòng trống không?
Directions and Transportation
- Left = Trái
- Right = Phải
- Straight ahead = Thẳng tiến
- Stop here, please = Làm ơn dừng lại đây
- Train station = Ga tàu
- Bus station = Bến xe buýt
- Airport = Sân bay
- Ticket = Vé
- Where is…? = … ở đâu?
- How do I get to…? = Làm thế nào để tôi đến…?
- I have a reservation = Tôi đã đặt phòng
- Single room = Phòng đơn
- Double room = Phòng đôi
- Air conditioning = Điều hòa nhiệt độ
- Could I have a map? = Tôi có thể có một bản đồ không?
- Is breakfast included? = Bao gồm bữa sáng không?
- How far is…? = … cách đây bao xa?
- What time is check-out? = Giờ trả phòng là mấy giờ?
- Can I leave my luggage here? = Tôi có thể để hành lý ở đây không?
- Can you call a taxi? = Bạn có thể gọi taxi cho tôi không?
Dining and Food
- I’m vegetarian = Tôi ăn chay
- A table for two, please = Làm ơn cho một bàn cho hai người
- Menu, please = Làm ơn cho xem thực đơn
- Water = Nước
- Delicious = Ngon quá
- Check, please = Tính tiền em ơi
- I’m allergic to… = Tôi bị dị ứng với…
- More, please = Làm ơn cho thêm
- Less spicy, please = Làm ơn làm bớt cay
- Coffee = Cà phê
- Excuse me = Em ơi/Chị ơi/Bạn ơi
- How much? = Cái này bao nhiêu?
- I’m just looking = Tôi chỉ xem thôi
- I would like to buy this = Tôi muốn mua cái này
- Do you have…? = Bạn có… không?
- I like this = Tôi thích cái này
- Can I pay with a card? = Tôi có thể trả bằng thẻ được không?
- Open = Mở cửa
- Closed = Đóng cửa
- Market = Chợ
- Souvenir = Quà lưu niệm
Activities and Sightseeing
- Museum = Bảo tàng
- Beach = Bãi biển
- Park = Công viên
- Tourist attraction = Điểm du lịch
- Guidebook = Sách hướng dẫn
- Recommendation = Khuyến nghị
- What are the must-see places here? = Những nơi cần phải đến cho du khách ở đây là gì?
- How long does the tour last? = Tour kéo dài bao lâu?
- Can I take photos here? = Tôi có thể chụp ảnh ở đây không?
- Where can I buy tickets? = Tôi có thể mua vé ở đâu
Emergency and Health
- Help! = Cứu với!
- Call the police! = Gọi cảnh sát!
- I need a doctor = Tôi cần bác sĩ
- Is there a hospital nearby? = Có bệnh viện nào gần đây không?
- I feel sick = Tôi thấy không khỏe
- I have a fever = Tôi bị sốt
- I’ve been injured = Tôi bị thương
- I need medicine = Tôi cần thuốc
- Pharmacy = Nhà thuốc
- Emergency = Khẩn cấp
- Privacy Policy
- Terms and Conditions
- Payment Guidelines
Have a Question?
Xin chào vietnamese translations of common phrases.
While many English speakers are intimidated by the strange characters and pronunciations of Asian languages, Vietnamese can, in some ways, be easier to navigate. Because it uses a Latinized alphabet, it is easier for those who don’t speak the language to read street signs, order off of menus, and more. While learning how to correctly pronounce words is more difficult, this handy guide will help you translate English to Vietnamese.
The Vietnamese Language
About 76 million people speak Vietnamese, including some four million who live abroad. The Vietnamese alphabet in use today, devised by Jesuit missionaries who came to Vietnam in the 1600s, includes 29 letters, mainly from the Latin alphabet common to English speakers. Where it starts to get interesting, however, is with the various letter combinations, various accents, and diphthongs and triphthongs.
The Vietnamese language shares roots with Khmer, or Cambodian. But it is also heavily influenced by the Chinese, who conquered the region in the 6th century and ruled for 400 years. The French added their own contributions beginning in the 17th century.
One of the hardest things about the language is that it has six different tones and vowel sounds. While you may not master these on the flight over, it is easy to learn a few key words and phrases to improve your experience while in Vietnam.
Common Vietnamese Words and Phrases
On any trip to a foreign land, there are a few key phrases that you will need to know to get by. Below are some of the most common Vietnamese phrases, along with pronunciation in parentheses when necessary.
1. Greeting and Goodbye
- Hello: Xin chào! (sin chow!)
- Goodbye: Tạm biệt (tarm byeet)
2. Terms of Courtesy Showing gratitude is good in any language! Improve any social situation by using these basic Vietnamese words often.
- Thank you: Cảm ơn bạn (gahm un ban)
- Please: Làm ơn (lam uhhn)
- You’re welcome: Không có gì (khome co xi)
- How are you? = Bạn khỏe không? (ban kwe khome?)
- I’m fine, thank you! = Tôi khỏe, cám ơn! (thoy kwe cam on)
3. Yes and No
- Yes: Vâng (vung)
- No: Không (khome)
4. Good and Bad
- Good: Tốt (thote)
- Bad: Xấu (szoh)
5. Asking for Assistance
- Excuse me: Xin lỗi (seen loy)
- Can you help me?: Bạn có thể giúp tôi được không? (ban co teh zoop thoy duc khom?)
6. Pronouns
- Female (junior): Em
- Female (senior): Chị
- Male (junior): Em
- Male (senior): Anh
You’ll be forgiven if you make a mistake with pronouns! Plus, you can often use the “senior” versions, as in these examples of addressing wait staff:
- Excuse me (to waiter): Anh ỗi
- Excuse me (to waitress): Chị ỗi
7. How to ask if someone speaks English Make an effort to use common Vietnamese phrases, but you can also occasionally ask if the other party knows English.
- Can you speak English?: Bạn có thể nói tiếng Anh không? (ban co teh noy thien an khom)
Use each of the following numbers on its own, or combine them into two-digit numbers.
- 1: Một (mobh)
- 4: Bốn (Bumh)
9. Terms for Transactions Haggling is common in Vietnamese culture and knowing a few phrases can save you some money!
- I like: Tôi thích (thoy tick)
- How much?: Bao nhiêu? (baow nyew)
- Too expensive: Quá đắt (qwa dat)
- Can you reduce the price?: Bạn có thể giảm giá? (Ban co teh zam za)
10. Relative Sizes and Amounts
- Big: Lớn (lungh)
- Small: Nhỏ (N-yor)
- Medium: Vừa (vurh)
- Less: It hơn (Eet hahn)
- More: hơn (hahn)
11. Terms of Flattery
Compliments are generally well received, though more specific compliments are considered more genuine.
- You are very beautiful: Bạn rất đẹp (ban zet dep)
- You are very handsome: Bạn rất đẹp trai (ban zet dep chai)
- You look great today = hôm nay bạn trông thật tuyệt
12. Vietnamese Restaurant Terms
- May I have the menu?: Tôi có thể có thực đơn không? (thoy co teh co tuck don khome)
- I would like to have this: Tôi muốn có cái này (thoy muhon co cai nay)
- Cold: Lạnh (langh)
- Hot: Nóng bức (non boo)
- No ice: Không có đá (khom co dar)
- No sugar: Không đường (khom dueng)
13. Common Locations
- Where is the bathroom? = nhà vệ sinh ở đâu
- Go to the airport: Đi đến sân bay (di den sun bay)
- Hotel: Khách sạn (khack san)
- Coffee shop = quán cà phê
- Bar = quán ba
- Where is the ATM?: ATM ở đâu? (ATM urn dole)
14. Emergency Terms
- I am sick: Tôi bị ốm (toy bee ohm)
- I need to go to the hospital: Tôi cần đến bệnh viện (toy can den ben vien)
- Call the police = gọi cảnh sát
The Vietnamese people are generally patient and good natured toward visitors. They may find humor when you mis-pronounce a word, but your efforts will be appreciated.
Now that you know some Vietnamese basic words and phrases, remember that you’ll need a Vietnam visa. Apply for one now to save time.
Vietnam Daily
Learn Vietnamese - One word a day
15 Essential Vietnamese Phrases for Travelers in Vietnam
After travelling in Vietnam for a number of months, I continuously find myself needing a core set of phrases. Here, we present audio and tonal-annotations to help you learn 15 key expressions for travellers in Vietnam: from “Help!” to “Wifi password please” to “That’s too expensive!”
TIP FOR VIETNAM
Make a mobile bookmark of this page so you can play the audio recordings for Vietnamese people who can’t understand what you are saying.
These expressions also serve as great mini-lessons to learn a little Vietnamese grammar and tones : below the play button, be sure to follow the tonal-annotations to learn the words’ proper tones. We use the following key:
- – flat tone
- u up-tone (á)
- d down-tone (à)
- ub up-broken tone (ã)
- sd short-down tone (ạ)
- w “weird” tone (ả)
Read more about the Vietnamese tones here .
1) How much is it?
Bao nhiêu tiền?
2) I want to buy this
Tôi muốn mua cái này
Notice the similar “subject – verb – verb – object” form, as in English, for simple declarative statements. But the definite article (“this”) comes after the noun (“thing”) and not before, unlike in English.
3) What is the WIFI password?
Pass WIFI là gì?
Notice that English words absorbed into Vietnamese always lose their their final consonant (like in French). The word “Password” is an extreme example of this kind of elaison, whereby the entire word is truncated to just “Pass”.
Note: if you find it strange that “gì” is pronounced like “zee” in Vietnamese, be sure to read our Audio Guide to Vietnamese Consonants .
4) Does this bus go to Hanoi?
Xe bus này đi đến Hà Nội phải không?
Notice that the word “bus” isn’t pronounced as in English; rather, the terminal-s is almost silent, resulting in a “bwe(s)” sound.
The words “phải không” convert the expression into a question; they roughly corresponds to an English “Does …?” or “Do …?”
5) I don’t eat meat/pork/dog
Tôi không ăn thịt/ thịt heo/ thịt chó.
Remember that the Vietnamese “th” is not pronounced like the English th (as in th ick). Instead, “th” is a hard-t with an aspirated “h”. In the accompanying audio, try to listen for that “h”.
6) Do you understand me?
Bạn hiểu ý tôi chứ?
Notice that “chứ” is like “không” in that it converts a declarative statement into a question, but it is considered more polite than không. Notice also that this kind of question is considered a “what” question, and not a “do” question.
An alternative and informal way to ask “do you understand” is “hiểu không?” You could ask this among friends and family, but, assuming you are a tourist, this would be slightly rude to ask strangers.
7) I don’t understand
Tôi không hiểu
Notice that in this case, “không” means “no” or “don’t” when placed after the pronoun, and not as a question indicator, when placed at the end of the sentence.
This phrase is so important for travellers in Vietnam, we have a full post dedicated to How to say “I don’t understand” in Vietnamese.
8) Could you repeat that?
Bạn nói lại được không?
9) Where is it on the map?
Đây là đâu trên bản đồ?
Notice the d with the diacritic line through it (đ) is a hard English d. All other Vietnamese d’s are actually pronounced like a “z” sound (in the North).
10) It is too expensive!
“Đắt quá” (too expensive!) is a short & sweat expression that will you definitely need to know in Vietnam if you go shopping as a foreigner. See our article on how to haggle in Vietnam for more on this topic.
11) Help me!
Giúp tôi với!
There are two versions of this expression: “Giúp tôi với!” is for non-life-threatening situations, whereas “Cứu tôi với!” conveys more seriousness. Both will get people’s attention. Notice that the terminal “với” is a non-translatable word that imparts a degree of politeness, yet doesn’t reduce the urgency of the request.
This phrase is so important to travellers in Vietnam, see our full post on How to ask for help in Vietnamese.
12) I’ve been robbed
Tôi bị cướp
Vietnamese is interesting in that there are two expressions for “I’ve been robbed!”, which differ based on on whether you know the guilty party:
- tôi bị cướp – someone robbed me, but I don’t know who did it
- tôi đã bị trấn lột – I was robbed and I know who did it
Fun fact: the word for theif is “người ăn cướp” – which makes sense if you’ve read our post on the word for người .
13) Please give me back my passport
Vui lòng trả lại hộ chiếu cho tôi
In the West, you may have been instructed to never leave your passport in someone else’s possession. In Vietnam, however, if you want to stay at a hotel, they will try to hold onto your passport in their safe-keeping during your stay (it may even be the official policy in Vietnam). With a little confidence and tact, you can use this expression to try to get your passport back and keep it.
The larger 3-star to 5-star hotels and resorts generally don’t do this, whereas many smaller establishes are more afraid of breaking compliance with the law. However, once they have a copy and have written down the information, they are not legally required to hold onto your passport. If they still insist, you can try offering to pay upfront for your stay.
14) I am sick
15) what are you doing tonight.
Bạn sẽ làm gì tối nay?
Note that the similarity between “tối nay” and “tonight” is just a coincidence.
BONUS: Do you speak English?
Ong/bạn có nói tiếng Anh không?
Learning how to say “Bạn có nói tiếng Anh không?” is actually not very useful, because if you do ask “Do you speak English” in English, and your Vietnamese interlocutor remains confused, then you already have your answer.
Nonetheless, there is some value in attempting to speak the proper VIetnamese expression, as a sign of respect.
Other Helpful Vietnamese Expressions
Interested in learning more? Please see our Word Of The Day blog that provides more expressions and key cultural insights about Vietnam, through the lens of helpful words and phrases.
- Hello! – Xin Chào
- Good-bye – Tạm biệt
- How are you today? – Ăn cơm chưa?
- Please excuse me – Xin lỗi
- Thank you – Cảm ơn
- I don’t understand – Tôi không hiểu
- Yes/no in Vietnamese – Có / Không
Are there other expressions that are helpful in Vietnam? Leave us a comment below.
Will is a researcher in Toronto who has lived and worked in Vietnam. On his own journey learning Vietnamese, he realized the best way to learn a language is to embed the lessons in stories, cultural insights and history.
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57 Essential Basic Vietnamese Phrases (With Pronunciation)
Whether you’re planning to catch a train from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh city, ride the length of the country on a motorbike, or simply visit the most popular sites in Vietnam , you will find this guide to basic Vietnamese phrases handy during your travels. This is so you can order your Phở without meat if you’re veggie, or egg if you’re vegan, and to help you to learn some simple sentences that will help you communicate with the locals without having to master the language like a native.
As with most places in the world, it’s helpful to learn a few basic sentences in the local language before landing in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh. That’s not only so you can find your way out of the airport better, but also so you can score some points and impress with your effort.
We’ll go through the bare bones of the language before teaching you some basic Vietnamese phrases that should help you throughout your trip, from finding the train station in Hanoi to asking about the price of banh mi in the market.
Table of Contents
What language is spoken in Vietnam?
Vietnamese is the official language of Vietnam . It’s spoken by the majority of residents of this beautiful country. It’s estimated that Vietnamese is the native tongue for over 70 million people, as well as the second language to many of the ethnic minorities across Vietnam. That is also the only country in the world where Vietnamese is officially used.
Although Vietnamese isn’t a popular second language across the world and most travelers visiting can’t say anything beyond a few simple words, you shouldn’t have too many communication problems. Over half of the Vietnamese population can speak English to some level, and most people in tourist areas will have fairly decent English skills.
Vietnamese belongs to the Austroasiatic group of languages, together with other lingos spoken across the South and Southeast Asia, such as Khmer and Mon. The modern language, though, has been influenced first by the Chinese in the second century BC and later by the French in the late 19th century. Take words like ga (train station) and đầm (dame), which come from the French gare and madame. You will also find that pronunciation can slightly vary depending on geography. Some words will sound different in North Vietnam from those down south.
Vietnamese alphabet
The Vietnamese language uses the basic Latin alphabet with exception of a few letters. Those not present are f, j, w, and z. In addition to that, there are a couple of variations of different letters that we don’t see in any other languages, all of them are vowels. So, that gives us a total of 29 letters in the Vietnamese alphabet in comparison with 26 letters in the English one.
Out of all letters in the Vietnamese alphabet, 11 are vowels. That is actually more than double the amount of vowels in English. They are called nguyên âm , whereas consonants are known as phụ âm , which translates to “extra sound”.
Although you will see different variations of certain letters when you try reading Vietnamese text, most letters are no different from those present in the majority of European languages. Reading signs and menus won’t be as challenging as it is in places that use different scripts, such as across the border in China, Laos, or Cambodia, for example.
Basic Vietnamese phrases for greeting s
After arriving in either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh airport, you may find it useful to say a few basic Vietnamese phrases to get by. Those will most likely be things like hello, goodbye, thank you, and so on. It’s handy to learn these before you even land, so you can chat with your driver and greet the immigration officer. So, if you want to be able to communicate some simple things in the local language, here are a few of the most common phrases in Vietnamese:
- Xin chào (sin chow) – Hello. This is probably the thirst thing you’ll learn and hear in Vietnam. It’s always worth knowing how to say hello in the local language.
- Cho tôi hỏi (cho toy hoi) – Excuse me.
- Bạn tên là gì (ban tain la gi) – What’s your name?
- Tôi tên là… (toy ten la) – My name is…
- Bạn Khỏe không? (ban kwae kaung) – How are you?
- Bạn đến từ đâu? (ban den to dough) – Where are you from?
- Tôi đên tư…(toi den too) – I’m from…
- Tạm biệt (tam byet) – Goodbye.
Basic Vietnamese phrases for everyday use
Certain phrases are simply a must-know if you’re traveling around Vietnam . You will be able to reply to simple questions and say the most basic things such as yes, no, and thank you. Here are a few that we think every traveler visiting Vietnam should know:
- Dạ (zah) – Yes.
- Không (kaung) – No.
- Cảm ơn (cam uhn) – Thank you.
- Không, cảm ơn (kaung cam uhn) – No, thank you.
- Xin lôi (sin loy) – I’m sorry. It can be used both for apologizing or getting someone’s attention by saying excuse me.
- Làm ơn (lam uhn) – Please.
- Không sao đâu (kaung sao dou) – You’re welcome.
Basic Vietnamese phrases for getting around
Do you want to travel the length of Vietnam from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City? Are you renting a bike to travel around but can’t find your way? Here are a few simple phrases in Vietnamese that you can use to ask for directions and find your way around the narrow streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter and other amazing parts of the country:
- Làm sao tôi đến được… (lam sao toi den duok) – How do I get to…
- Sân bay/phi trường (san bay/ fee cheu-uhng) – Airport. The first phrase is used in North Vietnam and the second one is used in the south.
- Nhà ga (niah gah) – Train station.
- Trạm xe buýt (cham seh bweet) – Bus station.
- Đường (dew-uhng) – street/road.
- Quẹo trái/ r ẽ trái (queu chai/sei chai) – Turn left. The first one is used in the southern parts of the country and the second is used in the northern regions.
- Quẹo phải/ r ẽ phải (queu fai/sei fai) – Turn right.
- Trước mặt (chuh mat) – Straight ahead.
Basic Vietnamese phrases for travelers
Whether you’re planning a backpacking adventure around Vietnam or simply a beach holiday on the stunning isle of Phu Quoc , there are a few phrases that could help you during your travels. Here are a few sentences in Vietnamese that should prove useful for travelers:
- Cứu (tôi) với (gih-oo (thoy) vuh-y) – Help me.
- Biết nói tiếng Anh không (byet noy tyeng ang kaumng) – Do you speak English?
- Tôi không hiểu (toi kaung heeyau) – I don’t understand.
- Tôi không biết nói tiếng Việt (toi kaung byet noy tyeng vyet) – I can’t speak Vietnamese.
- Cầu tiêu ở đâu? (koh tee-oh uh doh) – Where is the toilet?
- Tôi bị lạc (toi bee lack) – I’m lost.
- Tôi cần một bác sĩ (toy kuhn moht back see) – I need a doctor.
Basic Vietnamese Phrases for food
Knowing some basic Vietnamese phrases when ordering food can be super handy, especially if you’re not one of those travelers that can eat everything that comes their way. Whether you’re veggie, vegan, or have any other dietary requirements, your requests can sometimes be misunderstood in English. Here are a few phrases that should solve those communication problems and let enjoy delicious Vietnamese cooking :
- Tôi ăn chay (toi an chai) – I’m vegetarian.
- Tôi thuần chay (toi twan chai) – I’m vegan.
- Tôi không thể ăn… (toi kaung tei an) – I can’t eat…
- (Thịt) gà (teet gah) – Chicken. Thit at the beginning is optional as it means meat.
- (Thịt) bò (teet baw) – Beef.
- (Thịt) lợn/heo (teet lo-on/heu) – Pork.
- Cá (kah) – fish
- Bao nhiêu tiền (bahw ngew tee-uhn) – How much is it?
- Thanh toán tiền (tain toan tee-uhn) – The check, please.
- Ngon lắm (ngawn luhm) – It was delicious!
Numbers in Vietnamese
Whether you want to order a couple of 333 beers or more than one delicious phở it might be handy to know a few numbers in Vietnamese. Rather than showing the numbers with your fingers you could learn how to say them. Here’s how you can count up to 10 and beyond in Vietnamese:
- một (moth) – one
- hai (high) – two
- ba (bah) – three
- bốn (bone) – four
- năm (nuhm) – five
- sáu (sao) – six
- bảy (bye) – seven
- tám (tahm) – eight
- chín (cheen) – nine
- mười (meui) – ten
- một trăm (moht cham) – 100
Some funny Vietnamese phrases
They say humor is a universal language. Let’s test that out with this section of funny Vietnamese phrases. These are the ones that you’ll use just before glugging your beer in a Ha Long bar or when you want to express your anger or desire to party in a, shall we say, smile-inducing way. Most are considered slang, so shouldn’t be used in official contexts. But they’re worth getting to grips with if you want to come across like a real local during your travels…
- Giận tím người (zan-tim-noy) – I am purple. Don’t worry, people won’t think you’re actually purple. This really means that you’re super-angry at something.
- Trăm phần tram (cham-phun-cham) – 100%. That’s all this means. When to use it? Like cheers or skol , this goes before you down your entire drink in a bar!
- Đi Đu Đưa Đi (di-du-du-di) – Go swinging. It means to party and you have this 2019 chart hit to thank for it entering the Vietnamese vocabulary.
- Cuộc sống mà (Kook-song-ma) – The Vietnamese version of the French c’est la vie , this one means, essentially, “ah, that’s life.” Again, it’s one inspired by a well-known pop song.
- Bó tay (bo-tay) – Means to drop everything and give up. You ain’t gonna’ win this one.
- Trẻ trâu (Chey-chow) – Trẻ trâu literally means a young water buffalo, but is now slang for a young and thoughtless person, particularly a youth who doesn’t respect their elders.
Basic Vietnamese phrases – the conclusion
This guide to basic Vietnamese phrases is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to learning this Austroasiatic language. That said, you don’t need to speak like a native to convey simple messages in Vietnamese that will help you during your travels. From useful sentences for travelers and for getting around to phrases used in day-to-day life, we’ve introduced 57 Vietnamese phrases with pronunciation guides that will help you impress the locals.
Although over 50 percent of Vietnamese people can speak English, it’s worth knowing some of the local lingo before touching down in Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi. Not only will you make sure that the food you order is suitable to your dietary requirements, but you will also be able to haggle better rates of tours and taxis on top of other things.
Is Vietnamese hard to learn?
Vietnamese is considered a very hard language to learn for natives of English. That’s mainly down to the fact that it’s a tonal language, which means that the way you pronounce something can have a profound effect on its meaning. Getting that right can often take years of practice and local knowledge, something a classroom textbook simply can’t offer.
What languages are spoken in Vietnam?
Vietnamese is the official language of Vietnam. Something like 90% of Vietnam’s population speak Vietnamese as their first language. They can be split into three dialectic groups, in the north, the south, and the center of the country. Other languages spoken widely here include English, Khmer, Chinese, and French.
Reece is the creator and editor of Travel Snippet. He has visited more than 38 countries over a 10-year period. His travels have taken him through the majestic mountains of Italy, into the cities of central Europe, across the islands of Indonesia, and to the beaches of Thailand, where he is currently living. He is passionate about travel and shares his expertise by providing the best travel tips and tricks to help you plan your next adventure.
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Vietnam Language
When visiting Vietnam, learning the local Vietnamese lingo is essential to elevating your stay and understanding the culture. However, most areas with a lot of tourists feature an abundance of English speakers, so getting by is easy. That being said, there are times when speaking the language is crucial, so learning the most commonly used phrases for tourists is recommended
Popular Vietnamese Phrases for Tourists
From the basic greetings, such as hello, goodbye, thank you and you’re welcome, to counting from zero to a hundred, there are certain things you should learn. Vietnam uses some words multiple times, depending on the context. They also have several tone marks over the letters, indicating how to pronounce them.
How do you say cheers in Vietnamese?
Guide to learning the vietnamese language.
The Vietnamese language originated in Vietnam and is considered to be an Austroasiatic and analytic language, with over 90 million speakers all around the globe. While the language used to be more similar to other South East Asia dialects, a large portion of the words has Chinese and French roots.
As China and France gained power within the country, terms from the languages were combined with the Vietnamese language. For example, “dam” meaning “woman” in Vietnamese which comes from the French word “madame”, and “train station” which is “ga” comes from the term “gare” in French.
Variation in Language
There are three main dialects of the language in Vietnam: North, Central, and South. Their main differences are not just in sound, but vocab and structure, with the Central tongue being the most different from the other dialects. To be even more specific, the central dialects can be divided into three areas to include the northern central, mid-central, and southern-central regions.
Even though the north and south regions have their own accents and ways of pronouncing words, there are many southerners in the north and vice versa. The most standard version of Vietnamese is the version learned and spoken in Hanoi . In Vietnamese communities abroad, this is the accent that they use the most, as well as what is taught in language programs.
An example of how one word can vary across the country is:
- Central: mô
“Rice field”
- Central: đọi
- South: chén
Learning Vietnamese
It can be difficult to learn Vietnamese because of its six tones that command the meaning of a word. English speakers might not be familiar with this kind of language, but those who know Chinese will have a lot easier time especially with some of the vocabulary being similar.
Another aspect of Vietnamese that can make it easier than other languages is the fact that it’s analytical, meaning there are no conjugations, plurals, multiple verb endings, or word “genders” to worry about.
Vietnamese Alphabet
There are 11 vowels and 18 consonants in the Vietnamese language. The alphabet used is identical to the ISO basic Latin one, where the letters f, j, w, and z aren’t used except to differentiate the meanings and tones from one dialect to another or include loan words.
There are six unique tones in the Vietnamese language that are marked with distinguishing accents. Four tones are identified with markings above the vowels, while another is noted with a marking underneath them.
The last tone is the unmarked vowels without any modifications. Knowing each one’s type and function can help you correctly write and pronounce words.
- Á É Í Ó Ú Ý
- á é í ó ú ý
The acute tone has a forward slash above the vowels, indicating a high-rising pitch. The marking is placed more on the right side of each letter, and if combined with other accents, must be clearly defined.
- À È Ì Ò Ù Ỳ
- à è ì ò ù ỳ
A grave accent is a backward slash over the vowels, dictating a low pitch. It leans towards the left side of the letter without falling off, and like acute, must be separated from any other accents when combined.
- Ả Ẻ Ỉ Ỏ Ủ Ỷ
- ả ẻ ỉ ỏ ủ ỷ
This accent resembles a question mark without the dot below and signifies a mid-low dropping pitch.
- Ã Ẽ Ĩ Õ Ũ Ỹ
- ã ẽ ĩ õ ũ ỹ
A tilde denotes a high-rising pitch and looks like a letter ‘S’ on its side above the vowels.
- Ạ Ẹ Ị Ọ Ụ Ỵ
- ạ ẹ ị ọ ụ ỵ
The underdot marking is a dot placed beneath the vowels and signifies a low dropping pitch.
The unmarked vowels have no particular accent and have sounds varying from low to high ranges.
Other Languages Spoken in Vietnam
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam, making it commonly spoken among residents. A second favored language is English, followed by French and Chinese. Some of the minor languages also spoken include Muong, Cham, and Khmer. There are also some native tribes still in the wilderness of Vietnam that speak their own languages and dialects.
Vietnamese for Tourists
Even though English is widely spoken in Vietnam, many locals including those who live in rural areas don’t use it on a frequent basis, if ever. Occasionally, Because of that, it can be incredibly useful to know a few phrases in the native language to get you by wherever you are in the country.
Top Phrases for Common Situations
Having a handful of phrases to use in any given instance can make things a lot easier for you and whoever you are trying to communicate with. Not only will you accomplish what you’re trying to do or get faster, but it might also help you to form some friendships with locals!
Bars – Drinking is a social activity that people enjoy in most countries, so knowing how to say “cheers” and order a round of drinks for your group is essential.
Restaurants – Dining out is a big part of the overall Vietnamese experience, and being able to have basic communication skills with your waiter is going to help you get the meals you like the most.
Ordering Street Food – When walking around the street markets, you’ll notice how busy and loud it can get among the crowds. Knowing a few words to get by in a conversation with vendors will assist you in being able to talk about and purchase street food with more ease.
Bargaining – Everyone wants the best deal, so being able to bargain is not only advantageous while shopping on the markets , but it’s expected. Especially at the street markets and vendors, bargaining is typically practiced.
Directions – It can get confusing to walk through an unfamiliar city where you don’t speak the native language. Knowing how to ask for basic directions can help point you on the right path before you get too turned around.
Basic Questions – Being able to ask basic questions like, “Where is the nearest bathroom?” or “Can you recommend a restaurant?” might be
It would be difficult not to learn a few words of Vietnamese traveling through the country, so hopefully this guide has helped you to get a better understanding of the overall language.
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100 basic Vietnamese phrases for a smooth travel (Updated 2023)
Knowing basic Vietnamese phrases is undoubtedly a privilege for travelers. The closer you get to the locals, the more you are unlocked from the country's hidden gems, hospitality, and also discounts.
Vietnamese people are renowned for their hospitality and generosity. Though the country's secondary language is English, only a minority uses it daily, especially in suburban areas. Knowing basic Vietnamese phrases is undoubtedly a privilege for travelers. The closer you get to the locals, the more you are unlocked from the country's hidden gems, hospitality, and discounts.
Though the Vietnamese language uses Latin alphabets, mastering it is not a cake due to the tone system and its variation. As a result, you get a lot to learn and practice. But, not to fear, you don't necessarily invest that much effort for a 2-weeks trip; we are about to get you covered with these essential, quick basic phrases to nail your first trip to this beautiful country.
Top things to do in Vietnam
Basic Vietnamese phrases for greetings.
Like many other Asian countries, Vietnamese people do not hug or kiss someone they meet for the first time. Most people don't feel comfortable with it, especially older folks. However, Vietnamese are fast at picking up new things, so you can do this next time after explaining them. For your first impression, use a friendly wave or handshake together with these greeting phrases.
- Hello (politely) = Xin chào (Sin chow)
- How are you doing? = Bạn khoẻ không? (Ban Kwe Khom)
- Thank you = Cảm on (kahm uhn)
- Sorry = Xin lỗi (Sin Loy)
- No Problem = Không có gì (Khong koh zi)
- Goodbye = Tạm biệt (Tarm Byeet)
- No, Thank You! = Không! Cảm ơn (Khom, kahm uhn)
- Can you speak English? = Bạn nói Tiếng anh được không? (Banh noi thien an durkh khom)
- How old are you? = Bạn bao nhiêu tuổi (Ban ban nyew twoi)
- I am __ years old = Tôi ___ tuổi (toy ___ doyy)
- What is your name? = Tên bạn là gì? (Ten bang la zi)
- My name is ___ = Tên tôi là ___ (Ten toy la ___)
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Basic words to address people
When addressing younger people, regardless of gender, you use "em," and for yourself, you use "tôi." If you are addressing an older person, or in a formal scenario, you use "chị" for female and "anh" for male. In general, Vietnamese are very understanding and tend to forgive foreigners if they mix this up.
- I = tôi /toy/
- You = bạn /ban/
- Female (junior) = em
- Female (senior) = chị /ji/
- Male (junior) = em
- Male (senior) = anh
Basic Vietnamese phrases for direction and transportations
Vietnamese traffic is one of the attention-catching topics for first-time travelers—as one of the countries with the most scooters in the world, traveling through the city by scooter is a must-try experience. Public transportation and modern ride-hailing Apps are also available for your choices. Learn these essential phrases to get your driver better navigation of your destination.
- Where is the taxi rank? = Taxi ở đâu? (Taxis are dauh?)
- Where is the ATM? = Máy ATM ở đâu? (May ATM urn dole)
- Go Straight = Đi thẳng ( Di Thaang)
- Go Left = Rẽ trái (Se chai)
- Go Right = Rẽ phảo (Se fih)
- Stop = Dừng lại ( Duhng laai)
- Go to the airport = Đi sân bay (Di sun bay)
- Can I have a map? = Cho tôi một cái bản đồ ( chor toi mot cai ban dor)
- How far is it = Bao xa (Bao seh)
- Far = Xa (seh)
- Close = Gần (Gunh)
- Downtown = Trung tâm thành phố (Trumh tam tan fo)
- District = Quận (Wung)
- Station = Ga
- Bus stop = Trạm xe bus (Tram seh butt)
- Where? = Ở đâu (uh dow?)
- Wait 5 minutes = Chờ năm phút (Churhn nam foot)
Basic Vietnamese phrases for shopping
While shopping in the traditional Vietnamese market , negotiating, or so-called "bargaining," is a fascinating experience for foreigners and locals. Chances are you get an excellent price or at least avoid being ripped-off with a 2-3 times marked up rate; you better know how to "bargain" in Vietnamese.
- How much? = Bao nhiêu? (Baow nyew)
- Too expensive = Mắc quá (Mac wa)
- Can you reduce the price? = Bớt được không? (Boat duoc khom)
- Do you want to sell? = Có bán không? ( cor ban kohm?)
- I want to buy = Tôi muốn mua (Toi mu-on mua)
- One size larger = Một size lớn hơn ( Mot size lunh hunh)
- One size smaller = Một size nhỏ hơn (Mot size nyunh hunh)
- *You are so pretty = Em đẹp quá (Em dep wah)
- *You are so handsome = Anh đẹp trai quá (Anh dep wah)
* One of the most cheeky but practical tips to earn your stuff at the best price is to give local vendors a friendly compliment. If you say something nice like "you are so pretty", they willingly consider a more affordable price.
Basic Vietnamese phrases for restaurants or coffee shops
Vietnamese people love flavorful dishes. However, when it comes to drinks, Vietnamese have a huge sweet tooth. So it's apparent that they season their food with a handful of spices & flavors, especially sugar. Make sure you ask in advance what your dishes contain and ask for a customized version. To get exactly what you want, you'll need those phrases to communicate with the waiters.
- Excuse me (to waitress) = Em ơi (for younger lady); Chi oi (for a senior)
- Excuse me (to waiter) = Anh ơi
- I am hungry = Tôi đói bụng (Toi doi bhung wa)
- What is it? = Cái gì vậy? (kai zi vai)
- The bill please = Tính tiền (Din ting)
- May I have the menu = Cho tôi cái menu được không (cho toy khai menu duuc khom)
- I am allergic to peanut = Tôi dị ứng với đậu phộng (Doi yi ung voy dau fong)
- I can not eat pork = Tôi không ăn được thịt heo (Toi khom an duo tit hehll)
- I am vegetarian = Tôi ăn chay (Toi an chayh)
- I would like to have this = Cho tôi cái này ( Chor toi kah nai)
- Chicken = Gà (Gar)
- Rice = Cơm (Gurm)
- Rice Noodle = Bún (Bumg)
- Egg noodle = Mì (Mee)
- Pork = Heo (Heyoh)
- Beef = Bò (boh)
- Cold = Lạnh (Langh)
- Hot = Nóng (noong)
- No Ice = Không đá (Khom dar)
- No sugar = Không đường (Khom dueng)
- Not spicy = Không cay (Khom kay)
- 1 more = Thêm một cái (tem mop kai)
One more thing as your meal ends, don't hesitate to ask for waiter and waitresses for the bill as they're likely never stop at your table as long as you call them.
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Basic Vietnamese numbers
The Vietnamese numbering system is straightforward, and once you get the hang of numbers 1-10, you can say any number up to 99. Unlike English, numbers above ten are told as if you just put the two numbers together. So, for example, 25 would be hai name, which translates to two five.
- 1 = Một (moat)
- 2 = Hai (high)
- 3 = Ba (bah)
- 4 = Bốn (bone)
- 5 = Năm (nom)
- 6 = Sáu (shao)
- 7 = Bảy (by)
- 8 = Tám (tom)
- 9 = Chín (chin)
- 10 = Mười (mooy)
- Ten = Mươi (mooy)
- Hundred = Trăm (charm)
- Thousand = Nghìn (ngeen)
- Currency (Đồng) = dong
Basic sizes & color
- Big = Lớn (lungh)
- Small = Nhỏ (N-yor)
- Medium = Vừa (vurh)
- Less = Ít (Eet)
- More = Thêm (temh)
- Long = Dài (yai)
- Short = Ngắn (nhang)
- Blue = Xanh dương (San yoong)
- Red = Đỏ (Dorh)
- Yellow = Vàng
Basic Vietnamese phrases for emergency
- I need to see a doctor = Tôi cần gặp bác sĩ (toy can gap back szi)
- I am sick = Tôi bị bệnh (Toy bee benh)
- I need to go to the hospital = Tôi cần đi bệnh viện (Toy can di ben vien)
- I had food poisoning = Tôi bị ngộ độc thức ăn (Toy bee nyo doc thuch an)
- I was robbed = Tôi bị cướp (Toi bee cuoop)
- Call the police = Gọi cảnh sát (Goi gang sack)
- Help me = Cứu tôi với (Coo toy vuyh)
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80 Useful Vietnamese Phrases For Travel
- , July 27, 2023
When traveling in Vietnam, you can have a fantastic experience with local people if you can communicate with them in their native language, Vietnamese . You do not need to be fluent or at an advanced level in the Vietnamese language in order to talk with them. In fact, knowing the following 80 useful Vietnamese phrases for travel and more can get you started in basic conversation.
Useful Vietnamese Phrases For Greetings
To start a conversation with anyone, the first thing you should do is to say hi, then introduce yourself. Vietnamese phrases for travel and words like ‘thank you,’ ‘goodbye,’ and ‘sorry,’ should be your priority to learn. You can see how easy they are!
Let’s practice:
1. Xin Chào! (Hello, Hi)
‘ Xin chào ‘ is a basic way to say hi, hello to a new friend in daily conversation. To sound like a native speaker, you can say something like ‘chào anh’, ‘chào chị’, with the word ‘chào’ (to greet) with a pronoun referring to the listener.
2. Tên Tôi Là ___. (My Name Is ___)
To introduce your name , say ‘tên tôi là’ (my name is), then add your name afterward. You can also say ‘tôi là ___’ which is similar to ‘I am ___).
3. Bạn Tên Là Gì? (What Is Your Name?)
To ask someone’s name in Vietnamese, say ‘bạn tên là gì?’ or ‘bạn tên gì?’. Vietnamese people usually use their first name in daily conversation. They also use their nickname sometimes, especially in online chat.
4. Bạn Có Nói Tiếng Anh Không? (Do You Speak English?)
When you don’t understand a Vietnamese person, try to ask if they speak English. This helps you continue the conversation without misunderstandings. You can ask ‘Bạn có nói Tiếng Anh không?’ which means ‘Do you speak English?’.
5. Xin Lỗi! (Sorry!)
When you need to apologize to a Vietnamese person, it is good if you can say it in Vietnamese. ‘Xin lỗi!’ or ‘Tôi xin lỗi!’ are common and short ways to say sorry.
6. Cảm ơn! (Thank You!)
‘Cảm ơn’ and ‘cám ơn’ are both okay to thank someone in Vietnamese . They are pronounced in different tones, just for your information.
7. Bạn Có Khoẻ Không? (How Are You?)
‘Bạn có khoẻ không?’ is used as ‘How are you?’ in English. It literally means ‘Are you good?’ or ‘Are you healthy?’. Vietnamese people usually ask this question when it is the first time they meet, or when they didn’t see each other for a long time. This phrase is not regularly used when you see someone every day.
8. Tôi Không Hiểu (I Don’t Understand)
If you don’t understand something, you can say ‘Tôi không hiểu.’ (I don’t understand), then ask them to explain more or speak English if they can.
9. Làm Ơn, Vui Lòng (Please!)
In Vietnamese, the word ‘làm ơn’ and ‘vui lòng’ are used when you ask someone for a favor. However, this saying is not spoken very often.
10. Tạm Biệt! (Goodbye!)
There are many ways to goodbye in Vietnamese . ‘Tạm biệt!’ is the most common one. You can also say ‘Chào!’ as a goodbye.
Basic Vietnamese Numbers
Before going to any country, it’s vital to know basic words like numbers too. Knowing how to count Vietnamese numbers should be considered because numbers are used a lot in daily life, from ordering food to paying for taxis. Below are the basic numbers you should know when learning Vietnamese : 0 – Không – Zero 1 – Một – One 2 – Hai – Two 3 – Ba – Three 4 – Bốn / Tư – Four 5 -Năm – Five 6 – Sáu – Six 7 – Bảy – Seven 8 – Tám – Eight 9 – Chín – Nine 10 – Mười – Ten 11 – Mười Một – Eleven 12 – Mười Hai – Twelve 20 – Hai Mươi – Twenty 21 – Hai Mươi Mốt – Twenty-One 100 – Một Trăm – A Hundred 1,000 – Một Nghìn / Một Ngàn – A Thousand 1,000,000 – Một Triệu – A Million
What Are Some Common Vietnamese Phrases For Directions?
Going to another country? You may need to ask for directions, address, or give directions to a driver. In Vietnam, there are many Vietnamese phrases for travel you’ll need since you might get lost in the vast sceneries and beautiful landscapes. The following common Vietnamese phrases can help you:
Popular Vietnamese Direction Words
- Trái (Left)
- Phải (Right)
- Bên trái (Left side)
- Bên phải (Right side)
- Bên tay trái (Left-hand side)
- Bên tay phải (Right-hand side)
- Phía trước / Đằng trước (Ahead, In front of)
- Phía sau / Đằng sau (Behind)
- Đối diện (Opposite)
- Kế bên / Bên cạnh (Next to)
- Rẽ trái (Turn left)
- Rẽ phải (Turn right)
- Dừng lại (Stop)
- Đi thẳng (Go straight)
- Quay đầu (U-turn)
- Quay lại (Go back)
- Địa chỉ (Address)
- Xe buýt (Bus)
- Taxi (Taxi)
Asking For Direction, Address
- Ở đâu? (Where?)
- Có xa đây không? (Is it far from here?)
- Đi tới đó bằng cách nào? (How can I get there?)
- Đi lối nào? (Which way should I go?)
Useful Vietnamese Phrases For Travel When Ordering Food And Drink
Vietnamese food is delicious! When you eat at a local restaurant, use the following phrases for ordering food and drink in Vietnam!
- Thực đơn (Menu)
- Cho tôi xem thực đơn được không? (Can I see the menu please?)
- Đồ ăn (Food)
- Đồ uống (Drinks)
- Món tráng miệng (Desserts)
- Cho tôi ___ (Can I have ___?)
- Tôi muốn gọi món. (I would like to order.)
- Tính tiền / Thanh toán (Check bill, please!)
- Em ơi! (Excuse me!)
- Ít cay (Less spicy)
- Tôi muốn gọi thêm đồ. (I would to order more.)
- Ngon lắm! (It’s delicious!)
Vietnamese Sentences For Shopping
Remember to ask for prices before you buy anything. In local markets, you can ask for discounts sometimes. Bargaining the prices when shopping at local markets is famous in Vietnam. However, it would be best if you didn’t do it at the shops where they display the prices on the shelves or at a shopping mall.
- Bao nhiêu? (How much?)
- Tiền (Money)
- Tiền lẻ (Change)
- Giảm giá cho tôi được không? (Can I get a discount?)
- Đắt thế! (So expensive!)
- Cho tôi thử được không? (Can I try it?)
- Tôi sẽ mua cái này. (I’ll buy this one.)
- Không cần túi! (I don’t need a plastic bag.)
Vietnamese Phrases For Emergency
When you travel, even with good preparation, you cannot control everything or foresee all risks. Because of that, you should be able to ask for help from local people when in an emergency. Remember the following helpful Vietnamese phrases for travel to help yourself in these situations:
- Cứu! (Help!)
- Bạn có thể giúp tôi được không? (Can you help me?)
- Túi của tôi bị trộm. (My bag got stolen.)
- Tôi bị mất hộ chiếu. (I lost my passport.)
- Tôi muốn đến đại sứ quán. (I want to go to the embassy.)
- Tôi cần người phiên dịch. (I want a translator.)
- Tôi muốn đến đồn cảnh sát. (I want to go to the police office.)
- Cháy! (Fire!)
- Có người cần giúp đỡ. (Someone needs help.)
Practice What You Learned With The Ling app
I hope you can remember the Vietnamese phrases for travel that you have learned. I suggest that you practice these common phrases as much as you can, especially with native speakers. You can also learn more phrases as well as practice with the Ling app .
The app has dialogue at the end of each lesson and mini-games that help you learn Vietnamese more fun. You can even write, read, listen, and try speaking some of the Vietnamese travel phrases you just memorized!
Don’t start learning later. You can try a few phrases now by downloading the app on the Play Store or App Store . Practice with a native speaker or your friends and family with this gamified app.
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Basic Vietnamese for Travel: A Guide for Beginners
If you are planning to visit Vietnam, it might be helpful to learn some basic Vietnamese phrases to communicate with the locals and enjoy your trip better. Vietnamese is the official language of Vietnam, spoken by around 70 million people. It is a tonal language, meaning that the meaning of a word can change depending on how it is pronounced. Vietnamese has six tones, each marked by a different diacritic on the vowel.
This guide will teach you some essential Vietnamese phrases for travel, such as greetings, asking for directions, ordering food, and bargaining. We will also provide tips on pronunciation and some interesting facts about Vietnamese language and culture. Let’s get started!
Basic Vietnamese Phrases for Greetings
The first thing you need to know is how to say hello in Vietnamese. The most common way to greet someone is:
- Xin chào! (sin chow) – Hello!
You can use this phrase in any situation, whether formal or informal, with anyone you meet. However, if you want to be more specific, you can also add the title of the person you are talking to, such as:
- Xin chào anh! (sin chow ahn) – Hello sir!
- Xin chào chị! (sin chow chee) – Hello ma’am!
- Xin chào em! (sin chow em) – Hello younger brother/sister!
- Xin chào cô! (sin chow co) – Hello auntie!
- Xin chào bác! (sin chow bac) – Hello uncle!
Note that these titles are not based on blood relation, but on age and gender. Anh and chị are used for people who are older than you, but not too old. Em is used for people who are younger than you, or for someone you are close to. Cô and bác are used for people who are much older than you, or as a sign of respect.
To say goodbye in Vietnamese, you can use:
- Tạm biệt! (tam bee-et) – Goodbye!
This phrase is also suitable for any situation and any person. However, if you want to be more casual, you can also say:
- Chào! (chow) – Bye!
- Chào anh/chị/em/cô/bác! (chow ahn/chee/em/co/bac) – Bye sir/ma’am/younger brother or sister/auntie/uncle!
To ask someone how they are doing in Vietnamese, you can say:
- Bạn có khỏe không? (ban co kwe kohng) – How are you?
This phrase literally means “Are you healthy?” and it is a polite way to show your concern for someone’s well-being. To answer this question, you can say:
- Dạ, tôi khỏe. Còn bạn? (zah, toy kwe. con ban) – Yes, I’m fine. And you?
- Không, tôi không khỏe. (kohng, toy kohng kwe) – No, I’m not well.
Dạ is a word that shows respect and agreement. You can use it when answering yes to a question or when accepting something from someone.
Basic Vietnamese Phrases for Everyday Use
There are some basic Vietnamese phrases that you will need to use frequently during your travel, such as:
- Cảm ơn! (cam uhn) – Thank you!
- Không cảm ơn! (kohng cam uhn) – No thank you!
- Xin lỗi! (sin loy) – I’m sorry! / Excuse me!
- Làm ơn! (lam uhn) – Please!
- Không sao đâu! (kohng sao doh) – You’re welcome! / No problem!
You can use these phrases in any situation where you want to express your gratitude, apology, request, or acceptance. For example:
- Cảm ơn anh đã giúp tôi! (cam uhn ahn da zup toy) – Thank you for helping me!
- Xin lỗi anh, tôi muốn hỏi đường. (sin loy ahn, toy moo-un hoy doong) – Excuse me sir, I want to ask for directions.
- Làm ơn cho tôi xem menu. (lam uhn cho toy sem me-noo) – Please let me see the menu.
- Không sao đâu, cứ thoải mái. (kohng sao doh, koo twy my) – No problem, just make yourself comfortable.
Basic Vietnamese Phrases for Getting Around
One of the most crucial things to know when traveling in Vietnam is how to get around. Whether you’re taking a taxi, bus, train, or motorbike, you’ll need to know some basic Vietnamese phrases related to transportation. Here are a few examples:
- Tôi muốn đi … (toy moo-un dee) – I want to go to …
- Tôi muốn thuê … (toy moo-un tweh) – I want to rent …
- Tôi muốn mua vé … (toy moo-un mwa veh) – I want to buy a ticket for …
- Bạn có biết … ở đâu không? (ban co bee-et … o doh kohng) – Do you know where … is?
- Làm ơn chỉ cho tôi cách đi … (lam uhn chee cho toy cah dee) – Please show me how to go to …
You can fill in the blanks with the name of the place or the mode of transportation you want. For example:
- Tôi muốn đi khách sạn. (toy moo-un dee kahk san) – I want to go to the hotel.
- Tôi muốn thuê xe máy. (toy moo-un tweh seh may) – I want to rent a motorbike.
- Tôi muốn mua vé tàu. (toy moo-un mwa veh tow) – I want to buy a train ticket.
- Bạn có biết nhà hàng ở đâu không? (ban co bee-et nya hang o doh kohng) – Do you know where the restaurant is?
- Làm ơn chỉ cho tôi cách đi bến xe. (lam uhn chee cho toy cah dee ben seh) – Please show me how to go to the bus station.
When you are in a taxi or a bus, you might also need to say:
- Dừng lại ở đây! (doong lie o day) – Stop here!
- Đi chậm lại! (dee cham lie) – Slow down!
- Đi nhanh lên! (dee nahn len) – Hurry up!
Basic Vietnamese Phrases for Travelers
As a traveler, you will need some basic Vietnamese phrases to help with accommodation, sightseeing, shopping, and emergencies. Here are some examples:
- Tôi có đặt phòng ở đây. (toy co dat fong o day) – I have a reservation here.
- Tôi muốn xem phòng. (toy moo-un sem fong) – I want to see the room.
- Tôi muốn trả phòng. (toy moo-un tra fong) – I want to check out.
- Tôi muốn tham quan … (toy moo-un tam quan) – I want to visit …
- Tôi muốn mua … (toy moo-un mwa) – I want to buy …
- Bạn có thể giảm giá không? (ban co teh zam zah kohng) – Can you lower the price?
- Tôi bị lạc. (toy bee lak) – I’m lost.
- Tôi bị ốm. (toy bee om) – I’m sick.
- Tôi cần gọi cảnh sát/bác sĩ. (toy can goy canh sat/bac see) – I need to call the police/doctor.
You can fill in the blanks with the name of the attraction or the item you want. For example:
- Tôi muốn tham quan chùa Một Cột. (toy moo-un tam quan choo-a mot cot) – I want to visit the One Pillar Pagoda.
- Tôi muốn mua áo dài. (toy moo-un mwa ao die) – I want to buy an ao dai.
Basic Vietnamese Phrases for Food
One of the best things about traveling in Vietnam is the food. Vietnamese cuisine is famous for its freshness, diversity, and flavor. You will find many delicious dishes to try, such as phở, bánh mì, bún chả, gỏi cuốn, and more. To help you order food and enjoy your meal, here are some basic Vietnamese phrases for food:
- Tôi muốn ăn … (toy moo-un an) – I want to eat
We hope you have a great time exploring the culinary delights of Vietnam!
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30+ Most Useful Vietnamese Phrases and Vocabulary for Travelers
- At a restaurant
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An interesting fact about the Vietnamese language is that it’s the only Asian language that use the Roman alphabet instead of characters.
Vietnamese is a fascinating language because it’s a tonal language. This means that even though a lot of words are spelled the same, they sound totally different. The tones are marked using several accents, usually placed on vowels. When speaking Vietnamese it’s very important to try and mimic the pronunciation as best you can. For instance: "bánh mì chay" means a vegetarian baguette and "bánh mì cháy" means burned bread. The pronunciation is only slightly different but the words have completely different meanings!
Below we’ve compiled a list of useful Vietnamese phrases and vocabulary for tourists to use in day to day situations.
- Xin chào (sin ciao): Hello
- Cảm ơn (calm on): Thank you
- Bạn khỏe không? (ban kway kh-o-ng): How are you?
- Tôi nghỉ tại (toi nji tie): My hotel address is…
- Bạn chỉ đường giúp (ban chi duong jup): Can you show me the way to…?
- Tôi muốn đi (toi mooun dee): I want to go to…
- Tôi muốn xem (toi mooun sem): I want to see…
- Em ơi (m oii): Use this to call over the waiter (literally translates as ‘my dear’)
- Ngon quá (non kwa): Delicious!
- Không sao (kh-o-ng sao, sao as in Sao Paulo): No problem/It’s okay.
- Không (kh-o-ng, ng like in sing): No, Thank you
- Bao nhiêu tiền (bow nieu tien): How much is this?
- Đắt quá (dut wa, dut like in “Dutch”): Too expensive!
- Tôi muốn (toi mooun): I want to have…
- Đẹp quá (dep kwa, depth without th): So beautiful!
- Không mua (kh-o-ng m-our, our in tour): I don’t want to buy it.
- Bạn tốt quá! (ban tot wa): It’s nice of you
- Tôi không biết bơi (toi kh-o-ng bet boi): I don’t know how to swim
- Cứu tôi với (kyu toi voi): Help me
- Ôi dời ơi (oi zoi oi): Oh My God
- Nguy hiểm quá (nuya him wa): It’s too dangerous
Besides these handy and useful phrases we’ve also compiled a list of essential vocabulary words for when you go to Halong Bay.
- Đảo (dow): island
- Vịnh (Ving): bay
- Du thuyền (Zoo thien): Cruise/boat
- Thạch nhũ (Tack njoo): stalactite/stalagmite
- Cảng (Kang): port/harbor
- Nước (Nuok): water
- Hang (Haang): cave, den, hole, burrow
- Hải sản (Hai san): sea-foods
- Biển (Bee en): sea
- Tàu (T ou): ship
- Khách sạn (Khike San): hotel
- Lễ tân (Lay ten): receptionist
- Làng chài (Lang chai): fishing village
- Hòn (Hon): Islet
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Vietnam Language
Basic vietnamese words & phrases for tourists to vietnam.
Although English has been widely spread throughout Vietnam, it still has some difficulties during your Vietnam vacation without knowing and understanding some essential Vietnamese words and phrases. Prepare some words in hand will absolutely reduce frustrations and misunderstandings, which gives you a perfect trip to Vietnam.
Basic Vietnamese Words & Phrases for First-time Introduction
It’s the most convenient way to start learning and also the answer to the most common opening common conversations in Vietnamese.
Sin Chow: Hello Toy dane too…: I come from… Ban kwe khome?: How are you? Gahm un ban toy khome: I am fine, thank you Ban thane zee?: What is your name? Toy thane la…: My name is… Toy kung hey-oh: I do not understand Toy hey-oh: I understand Vung: Yes Khome: No Chuck moong numb moi: Happy New Year Tiam bien: Goodbye
Basic Vietnamese Words & Phrases for Asking Helps
After having introduced yourself, you’re definitely going to need some phrases for tricky situations to at least appear unruffled, even if you’re feeling the opposite. This way you won’t embarrass any Vietnamese by yourself losing face and thus making them feel bad for you!
Seen loy: Excuse me Ban zup toy duc khome: Can you help me? Khome co cheese: You are welcome Khome sao: No problem Gahm un: Thank you
Basic Vietnamese Words & Phrases for Asking Directions
Vietnamese streets are really maze-like with thousands of vehicles and a lot of crossroads. Taxis or motorbike taxis are absolutely indispensable means of transportation for tourists during their Vietnam vacations. However, most drivers are not able to communicate with you in English. So it is wise to equip yourself with some words and phrases in case you get lost in that maze or want to go somewhere. But carry a map and write down the address or location you plan to go is recommended for sure.
Toy muan dean…: I would like to go to… …Uah dou?: Where is… Di tan: Go straight Tchai: Left Phai: Right Zun like: Stop here Dee dean…nhu the now?: How can I get…? Cheese trewn ban doo duc khome?: Can you show me on the map?
Basic Vietnamese Words & Phrases for Shopping
Vietnam is no doubt a paradise of shopping with various types of products and reasonable prices. With some common Vietnamese words, your shopping will be completely fast and easy. They even help you bargain to buy things at cheaper prices.
Toy muan kai khac: I would like something else Wa lew niem: Souvenir Bow neuw tee-en?: How much? Bot duc khome?: Could you give me a discount? Dat wa: That is too expensive Toy moo-ah kai night: I will take this one Toy khome moo-ah: I do not want to buy this one Cor nyor hurn: Smaller size Cor lurn hurn: Bigger size Kai zee day: What is this Sem kai night duc khome: Can I have a look?
Basic Vietnamese Words & Phrases at Restaurants or Food Stalls
A culinary adventure in Vietnam deserves the first position in your itinerary. So learning a few useful words and phrases will make your taste perfect.
Bar mee: Bread Ka fey soo does: Coffee with ice and milk Dee-uong: Sugar Goy kwoon: Roll Nucc suoi: Mineral water Beer: Beer (Same pronunciation) Trian mieang: Dessert Tiem aen: Restaurant Seen ting tian: Bill, please Cay: Spicy Cheen: Well-done Tai: Rare Vua: Medium Thit: Meat Goy: Salad Bank: Cake Muoi: Salt Hat tiu: Pepper
Basic Vietnamese Words & Phrases of Time
Tuuh hi: Monday Tuuh bar: Tuesday Tuuh thu: Wednesday Tuuh nahm: Thursday Tuuh saow: Friday Tuuh bay: Saturday Chew ngut: Sunday Phut: Minute Zuh: Hour Ngay: Day Tuuan: Week Thiang: Month Nahm: Year Bay zuh: Now Laht neu-uh: Later Sang: Morning Chew: Afternoon Toy: Evening Dehm: Night
Some Other Vietnamese Words & Phrases
Ban dou: Map Bye bian: Beach Down: Island Tou: Boat Share mai: Motorbike Thanh phou: City Lang: Village Cheuw: Pagoda Nha Thod: Church Choew: Market Bao tang: Museum Nha vee sing: Toilet Nui: Mountain Sung: River Nha thuoc: Pharmacy Beanh vian: Hospital
Besides these common Vietnamese words and phrases, you should you non-verbal communication such as body language or eye contact. Hope you can enjoy your Vietnam vacation at its best.
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- 21 Essential Phrases Youll Need...
Essential Phrases You'll Need in Vietnam
Vietnamese is a tough language for English speakers. The writing looks familiar, but what are those letters? And why are there lines and dots and curves all around the words? Don’t worry, we’re here to help. These are the essential phrases you’ll need in Vietnam . Love reading Culture Trip? How about travelling with us! Our Culture Trips are small-group tours that truly immerse you in a destination through authentic travel experiences. You can also embrace slow travel and the joys of journeying by train on our eco-friendly Rail Trips .
Greetings and essentials.
Xin Chào ( sin chow ) / Hello
Vietnamese has seemingly endless pronouns, all based on age, status and how long you’ve known the listener. But you really don’t need to learn them all unless you’re planning on staying here for a while. To keep it simple, use this phrase to say ‘hello’. It’s good for everyone.
Vietnamese people don’t say ‘thank you’ as much as foreigners, so don’t be surprised if you don’t get a response most of the time. If somebody says it to you, reply with ‘không có gì’ ( comb caw zee ).
Dạ / Không ( yah / comb ) — Yes / No
There are a few different ways to say ‘yes’ in Vietnamese, but a simple ‘yah’ is good enough for foreigners. ‘No’ is the same everywhere, but the ‘k’ is silent in the South. It sounds more like ‘how’ with an ‘m’ at the end.
Xin Lỗi ( sin loy ) / Excuse Me
Use this to apologise when you bump into someone, or when you need to get by someone. No need to say it to everyone if the area is crowded, though, because there’s no such thing as personal space in Vietnam. To get the attention of a server in a restaurant, shout out ‘Em ơi!’ (Em oy!) No need to be shy. It’s normal to shout for your server in Vietnam.
Tôi không hiểu. ( toy comb hey-oo ) / I don’t understand
Fairly self-explanatory, but add a shrug just in case. One common gesture you’ll see a lot is somebody twisting their hand in the air – almost like they’re changing a light bulb. This means they either can’t help you, or they can’t understand you. And if somebody doesn’t understand you, don’t expect them to hang around waiting for you to repeat it a bunch of times. They’ll usually get out of there quickly to avoid losing face.
Hẹn gặp lại ( hen gap lie ) / See you again
Must people understand “bye bye” – but you’ll get some easy smiles if you use this phrase.
Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu? ( nah vey sin uh dow ) / Where is the bathroom?
Try this phrase in big cities and small villages but in most of the touristy areas, a simple “toilet?” will do.
Rẽ trái / Rẽ phải ( ray-uh try / ray-uh fy ) — Turn left / Turn right
If you’re paying attention to the route on your map, which isn’t a bad idea with all the overcharging taxi drivers in this country, use these phrases to get your ride back on track. In the south, replace the “ray-uh” with “way-o,” as in “way-o try” for a left turn.
If you want to make this even easier for your driver, replace the phrase for “stop” with a simple “okay”.
Chậm lại ( chum lie ) / Slow down
Being scared for your life is business-as-usual on Vietnamese roads. Your driver will most likely ignore you, but it’s worth a try.
At the Restaurant/Bar
Menu ( meh-noo ) / Menu
This will work at most restaurants. It’s the same as it is in English, but the syllables are much more pronounced.
Không đường ( comb dew-ung ) / No sugar
Sugar is added to almost every drink in Vietnam, whether or not you’ve asked for it. So unless you want an extra tablespoon of sugar in every drink, be sure to add this phrase to your order.
Một chút cay ( mote choot kigh ) / A little bit spicy, please
In general, Vietnamese food culture isn’t as spicy as Cambodian or Thai. The Vietnamese custom is usually to let people choose how spicy they want their food by leaving chilies and chilli sauce on the table — except for Huế. Everything is spicy in Huế.
Don’t be afraid to ask for water, as most shops and businesses offer it for free – and if they don’t want to share, they’ll at least point you in the right direction.
Ngon quá (ngon wha) / Very delicious!
The ‘ng’ in ‘ngon’ is pronounced like the sound at the end of eating. Use this phrase for all food and drinks.
At The Market
Bao nhiêu? ( bow nyew ) / How much?
To use this phrase, just point to the object (with an open hand, palm facing down) and ask. Pronounce “bow” like you would for the Japanese show of respect.
Mắc quá ( mack wha ) / Too expensive!
Always assume you’re being overcharged in markets. Two-thirds of their starting price is usually a good rule of thumb for where to meet them. If they won’t budge, just walk away and see what happens.
Không ( comb ) / 0
Một ( mote ) / 1
Hai ( hi ) / 2
Ba ( ba ) / 3
Bốn ( bone ) / 4
Năm ( num ) / 5
Sáu ( saow ) / 6
Bảy ( by ) / 7
Tám ( tam ) / 8
Chín ( chin ) / 9
Mười ( muy ) / 10
Making Friends
Ăn chưa? ( an chew-ah ) / Have you eaten yet?
This phrase is used as an extra polite way of saying hello. It’s how friends in Vietnam often greet each other.
Một, hai, ba, vô! ( mote hi ba yo ) — 1, 2, 3, cheers!
It’s rude to drink alone when you’re in a group in Vietnam, so be prepared to say this a lot .
Không sao ( comb saow ) / No problem
Whenever somebody apologizes to you, use this phrase to let them know you’re not upset. People hate to lose face, it is a typical Vietnamese thing, so you’ll get plenty of smiles if you let the person know you’re not offended.
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Vietnam Language & travel dictionary
Vietnamese (tiếng Việt) is the national and official language of Vietnam and is spoken by a large majority of the population. It is also one of the few languages in Asia that uses the Latin alphabet instead of symbols. This makes it a lot easier to interpret street signs and even learn to speak in Vietnamese.
Do they also speak English in Vietnam?
In major cities and tourist areas in the south, communicating in English is becoming increasingly easy as Vietnam is becoming increasingly touristy. Due to high demand, the government has set up programs to improve English-language lessons in schools. However, if you plan to go to smaller cities or rural areas, it may be useful to know at least one Vietnamese basis.
In the south, where the inhabitants have often worked for the Americans in the past, knowledge of English is the best. Assume that most older Vietnamese cannot speak a word of English. Young people in particular can speak better English. Although some of them are shy towards foreigners, they will be happy to help you if you get lost and ask for directions. Some others would like to talk to you because that helps them improve their communication in the English language. Hotels, restaurants in tourist areas most Vietnamese also speak English.
Greetings in Vietnamese
How you greet and then speak to someone in Vietnam depends very much on their gender, and on their age and social status compared to yours. As a general rule of thumb, if you address a man as b, and a woman as b, you can be sure that you are not rude. If you find yourself in a conversation, formal or informal, with someone of your estimated age, you can use anh (for a man) and chi (for a woman).
Pronunciation
The difficulty of the Vietnamese language is in the pronunciation. It is a tonal language with single-syllable words. Each syllable can be pronounced at six different pitches: toneless, ascending, rapidly descending, slowly descending, floating or interrupted. Characters above the letters indicate the pitch. By varying the pitch a word can have six different meanings and an erroneous pronunciation quickly leads to confusion.
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Basic Vietnamese Phrases – Easy Adventure Awaits!
Wow! Was your next destination to Vietnam finally scheduled? If yes, congratulations! Before leaving, it is good to know that “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” is still the best quote for every situation. Knowing basic Vietnamese phrases will be extremely helpful to your trip , making it more active and interesting.
Now, when the language border is not the biggest obstacle anymore for traveling abroad, your vacation will be much more memorable. It’s time to learn basic Vietnamese for an amazing adventure. Let’s Vietnammotorbiketoursclub get started!
Table of Contents
What you should know about Vietnamese
Before we start to learn some basic Vietnamese phrases for your upcoming trip, don’t forget to learn more about the basic info of Vietnamese, its formation, and its origin. Learning any new language is also a fun activity to join. And Vietnamese is also interesting to know.
Vietnam’s official language
Well. It is worth knowing that among the 54 ethnic groups living together in Vietnam today, 85% use Vietnamese (Kinh) as their mother tongue. This is the official language used by citizens in Vietnam and the community of 4 million Vietnamese living abroad, mainly in the Czech Republic, the United States, France, and other countries.
The origin of the Vietnamese
Vietnamese belongs to the Austroasiatic languages, Tai-kadai family. For many years, the language today has a phonetic system influenced by Thai, similar tones to Chinese, similar grammar to some South Asian countries such as India, Malaysia, and vocabulary inspired by Cantonese. Thanks to the East-West cultural exchange in the 18th-19th century, the transcription of Vietnamese speech in Latin characters occurred by French and Portuguese missionaries.
The formation of the modern Vietnamese
In the process of popularizing the new script, the Vietnamese also introduced a lot of French vocabulary. This makes the accent and vocabulary more diverse and rich according to the region’s culture.
The Latin documents allow people to read Vietnamese easily, thanks to the single pronunciation rule. Grammar is also a plus, with few verb tenses and the rules are much simpler than in Western languages. However, how to use Vietnamese properly remains a big problem as addressing people and showing courtesy and respect when speaking.
You also may be interested in Ultimate Guide To Making A Packing List for Vietnam Tours
Basic Vietnamese phrases for foreign tourists
Are you planning a trip to stunning Vietnam? Have fun! Since there are no guarantees that you can also find English speakers everywhere in Vietnam, be a smart tourist to know basic Vietnamese phrases well to make your trip easy.
You don’t need to pronounce Vietnamese correctly. Just take your time to learn the basic Vietnamese language, and you may find endless amazing things on your vacation. And, now, ladies and gentlemen! It’s showtime!
Addressing people
This is the most complicated part of Vietnamese since you will have a lot of basic Vietnamese words to address people depending on age, gender, and relationships. Remember to be polite and respectful as always when asking anyone for something. Remaining your voice in a neutral tone and always keeping a happy smile on your face will be a plus.
Depending on relationships or guessing the other person’s age, you can have the right word for addressing. Now, you know why Vietnamese people always ask for your age when you all first met. Well, they want to know how to respect others properly.
For more Vietnam travel tips. please visit Is Vietnam Water Safe To Drink? Commonly Asked Questions
Vietnamese greetings
Vietnamese people also love talking to others and making new friends, but they can always be shy to do it first. So, grab your chance and start the conversation if you want to. Here’s how to say Hello in simple Vietnamese phrases:
How to say hello in Vietnam
- For beginners
There are common Vietnamese phrases and words to use. Knowing How to say How are you in Vietnamese is also the answer.
These basic Vietnamese phrases are popular among foreigners. However, they don’t sound natural. In Vietnam, people pay more attention to pronouns to personalize the context. For example, say ‘Em chao chi’ when you meet a senior female. Now, you learn how to be a native speaker, LOL.
- For native speakers
When meeting others, the Vietnamese always smile or shake hands (legal cases), bow slightly when greeting seniors, and hug their family members or close friends. Another way to say hello is to show that you care about their daily life when meeting each other. That action will show that you are caring about others.
Sometimes, the way of greeting does not necessarily need a true “greeting” with the word “Hello!, but questions can replace them. This way of greeting is often used in some cases, such as: suddenly visiting someone’s house (neighbors, friends, …); or meeting someone by chance.
1. Where are you going?- Ban di dau the?
This phrase is used for people with quite close relationships, like friends and neighbors, when you accidentally meet them on the road.
2. Have you eaten? – Ban/Anh/Chi/… an com chua?
Another way to show your quite close relationships. Vietnamese always use this way of greeting when they visit others’ houses. Make sure you won’t say that to the one you’ve first met.
3. Hey!- E!
A very friendly exclamation for equals or friends. Reserve it to use more with a smile on your face!
4. Long time no see!- Da lau khong gap!
This basic phrase indicates, “We haven’t seen each other for a while!” The speaker often expects no response to this.
5. How have you been?- Dao nay ban/anh/chi/… the nao?
One of the best questions to greet someone that you have not seen for a long time. Some catching-up is needed!
6. What’s up?- Co chuyen gi the?
This is how to greet your equals or friends in an informal way. Literally, it’s only a greeting! Sounds crazy, huh? For Vietnamese, nothing is impossible!
7. How’s it going?/ How’s everything?- Dao nay the nao roi?
This question is the same as others, such as ‘How are things progressing?’, ‘What’s up? or ‘How are things going in your life?’ Depending on the relationship, the answer is commonly short like It’s OK- ‘Van binh thuong’
8. How’s your day?- Ngay hom nay cua ban the nao?
Ask this friendly question when you meet your Vietnamese friend during the day. It will be a good start for a smooth conversation.
How to say thank you in Vietnamese
Saying Thanks to others in Vietnamese is also easy. If you want to show your deep gratitude to others, you can also give them a small gift or a hug while speaking to make the listeners feel pleasant.
Other common Vietnamese phrases
OMG! There are a lot of words to remember in case you want to use them in your daily life. And that’s why taking a look at the table below will help.
Basic numbers in Vietnamese
Knowing about the numbers in Vietnamese will make your payment when going shopping in this country much easier since you will have to come to the restaurants and hotels…multiple times. If luck has come, you may get more discounts on the market. So let’s try!
There are still a lot of tourist traps in Vietnam in the market. So, honest advice is always to bargain before deciding to purchase anything. You can start at 10% – 50% lesser than the price the seller tells you.
It may sound a little weird, but the best tip for you to deal with the seller for the best price is to compliment them. Everyone loves good words, and the Vietnamese are not an exception. So, give them good compliments, and you will get more affordable prices.
For example, you can say some sentences like:
*You are so beautiful = Chi/ em dep qua (Chi/ Em dep wah)
*You are so handsome = Anh rat dep trai
Restaurants or coffee shops
Vietnamese food is delicious, and you won’t resist its attraction. Vietnamese people use endless flavors in just a dish, so make sure you know about the ingredients.
Asking for direction in Vietnamese
If you’d like to ask for any location, you can ask the place + o dau? which is relevant to Where is …? For example,
Where is the hotel? – Khach san o dau?
Where is the restaurant? – Nha hang o dau?
Where am I? – Toi dang o dau?
Where is the taxi? – Taxi o dau?
Already knew how to ask for directions in Vietnamese? Going to the airport is like a Thanos snap to you. Here’s how:
Go to the airport: Đi den san bay
I want to go to the airport: Toi muon den san bay
In an emergency
Though we all hope the trip will be full of fun and surprises, bad luck may come. “Prevention is better than cure”. So, fill up your empty mind with these basic Vietnamese phrases for tourists below in case you will fall into tragedy:
Learning basic Vietnamese: Interesting and useful
In a decade with rapid tourism development today, the need for wanderlust worldwide has become just a basic thing for everyone. And Vietnam is also one of the rising stars in the world’s tourism. After all, taking your time to learn some useful Vietnamese phrases for travel is great, right? Just prepare a travel visa, enough budget, and try to read all of our sharings, then you will have a more convenient time during the vacation to this beautiful country.
Contact us for more interesting information
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Exploring the Vietnamese Language: History, Dialects, and Essential Tourist Phrases
Vietnamese is the official language of the Vietnamese people. Up to now, no additional language has been regulated by the government of Vietnam as the second national language.
- Ninety languages used as mother tongues in Vietnam
- History of the Vietnamese Language 2.1. About spoken language 2.2. Regarding the origin of Vietnamese writing
- Vietnamese listed as the top 20th language in the world
- Outstanding features of the Vietnamese language 4.1. Vietnamese does not have “Tense”. 4.2. Words do not change form. 4.3. Vietnamese does not distinguish between “Gender”. 4.4. The meaning of words changes when the tone changes.
- Vowel and consonant system in Vietnamese
- Vietnamese dialect regions
- Some basic Vietnamese communication sentences for tourists 7.1. Common words and sentences 7.2. Cardinal number 7.3. A few sentences in emergencies
1. Ninety languages used as mother tongues in Vietnam
A total of 54 ethnic groups live scatteredly throughout the S-shaped land of Vietnam. The ethnic diversity has led to language diversity.
According to researchers’ statistics, across the country, there are currently more than 90 various languages used by ethnic groups as their mother tongue. Among them, the Kinh group (also called Viet Group), who speak Vietnamese as their mother tongue, accounts for more than 85% of the population. Because of this dominance, Vietnamese has become the official language of the whole country.
However, the Vietnamese government still has policies to maintain and improve the unique voices of ethnic minorities. For example, in addition to Vietnamese, in some ethnic minority areas, the languages of the local minority groups have been used as the subject or medium of teaching in general education programs.
The Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam Television, or the local radios and televisions also have broadcasts in ethnic minority languages, such as Khmer, Ede, Ba Na, Mong, Gia Rai, Co Tu, and Xe Dang.
When traveling to different regions in Vietnam , you have a good chance to study linguistic diversity. For example, Khmer in the Mekong Delta; Ede language in Dak Lak and Gia Lai Provinces; and H’Mong spoken in the northern mountainous provinces, including Ha Giang, Lang Son, Lao Cai, and Dien Bien Provinces.
2. History of the Vietnamese Language
A language usually includes two parts: spoken and written. In particular, the voice part always comes first. Writing is characters that are used to record speech. A language may not have writing, but it must have a saying.
The history of Vietnamese will include the birth of spoken and written language.
2.1. About spoken language:
Until now, many researchers have accepted different hypotheses about the origin of Vietnamese.
a. The first hypothesis is that Vietnamese is just a degenerate branch of Chinese. The representative of this hypothesis is Jean-Louis Taberd (18th June 1794 – 31st July 1840, French). The basis of this hypothesis is that the Vietnamese vocabulary contains plenty of words originating from Chinese.
b. Another hypothesis is that Vietnamese originates from the Austronesian language family. Representing this viewpoint is Binh Nguyen Loc (7th March 1914 – 7th March 1987) with outstanding research works: “The Malay Origin of the Vietnamese People”, and “Unmasking the Vietnamese Language”.
c. The third hypothesis appeared at the beginning of the twentieth century when Henri Paul Gaston Maspero (15th December 1883 – 17th March 1945, French) put forward many convincing arguments that Vietnamese originated from the Thai language family. For a long time, it was accepted that Henri’s hypothesis was well-founded.
d. The fourth hypothesis showed plenty of scientific evidence that the Vietnamese language originated from the Viet-Muong group of the Mon-Khmer branch of the Austroasiatic family. Representing this hypothesis is André Georges Haudricourt (17th Jan 1911 – 20th Aug 1996, French).
Currently, lots of scientists agree with the viewpoint of the fourth hypothesis because of the rigorous, well-founded, and convincing argument system. We also agree with this point of view.
2.2. Regarding the origin of Vietnamese writing:
Throughout history, Vietnamese writing has had a lot of changes, starting from Hán (Chinese) to Nôm and today to Quốc Ngữ (the national language written following Latin).
a. Hán (Chinese) characters : is the longest-lasting writing system in the history of Vietnamese.
It started with the fact that ancient Vietnamese people used Chinese hieroglyphs to record and communicate in trading. With the development of society, Chinese characters became the official script used by Vietnam’s historical feudal regimes for teaching, taking exams, promulgating regulations, drafting and storing documents.
The Vietnamese people used this Chinese writing system until the 18th century.
b. Nom script : around the 10th century, Nom script began to take shape.
This writing is also a hieroglyphic system built based on Chinese characters. For that reason, there are many similarities between Chinese and Nom characters. However, these are still two different writing systems, and Nom has a separate writing system created by the talents in Vietnam.
Around the 14th and 15th centuries, the Nom script began to be perfected and went into a brilliant development process from the 17th to 19th centuries.
c. The National language (Quốc Ngữ):
By the 16th century, the National language began to be conceived. Initially, these were just Latin characters used by Western missionaries to transcribe the names of places, people, and religious titles in Vietnamese.
Gradually, more and more documents recorded Vietnamese phonetic transcriptions in Latin letters and formed the An Nam script. The process of development and improvement took place continuously; until the 19th century, Vietnamese writing had its complete structure system.
By 1945, the Quoc Ngu script following the Latin alphabet completely replaced the hieroglyphs of Nom and Chinese. It became the official and unified writing of Vietnam. This writing is constantly improving and developing today.
3. Vietnamese listed as the top 20th language in the world:
According to statistics, about 85.3 million people speak Vietnamese globally, and it is the 20th language in the world in terms of the number of speakers.
Vietnamese is not only used in Vietnam but also in many other countries. It appears in Vietnamese communities abroad, such as the US, Canada, Australia, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, France, New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore, China, and Japan.
4. Outstanding features of the Vietnamese language
Vietnamese belongs to the type of isolating language, so it has typical characteristics as the following:
- Words do not change morphology;
- Function words and word order play the role of clarifying grammatical relationships and grammatical meanings of words and sentences;
- The relationship between words is independent, free, and not bound to each other;
- Each word in Vietnamese is a syllable and also a morpheme.
From these general things, we can recognize the specific features of Vietnamese as below:
4.1. Vietnamese does not have “Tense”.
In English, “Tense” plays an important role in determining the structure and meaning of a sentence, but “Tense” does not exist in Vietnamese.
Function words and word order in the Vietnamese language take on the role of clarifying the grammatical relationship and meaning of the sentence.
For example, when you want to describe something happening in the future, the sentence can have function words, such as sẽ (will), chuẩn bị (be going to), sắp sửa (be about to, nearly happen), gần (recently).
The speakers can also use adverbs of time, such as Ngày mai (tomorrow), Ngày kia (the day after tomorrow), Một lát nữa (a moment later), Chiều nay (this afternoon), Chiều mai (tomorrow afternoon). The speakers do not need to use “Tense” in sentences.
4.2. Words do not change form, and word order determines the meaning of a sentence.
In Vietnamese, each word has an independent meaning, and there is no situation of morphological change. Elements such as prefixes and affixes do not appear in Vietnamese. Instead of that, word order determines the meaning of the sentence.
For example, when changing the order of words in this sentence:
“Tôi(1) hát(2) không(3) hay(4)”- “I don’t sing well”
Then, the meaning of the sentence will change:
“Tôi(1) không(3) hay(4) hát(2)” – “I don’t sing often”;
“Hay(4) tôi(1) không(3) hát(2)?” – “Cannot I sing?”;
“Tôi(1) hát(2) hay(4) không(3)?- “Do I sing or not/ Do I sing well?”
4.3. Vietnamese does not distinguish between “Gender”.
There is no distinction between “feminine” or “masculine” like French. This feature makes identifying and learning nouns in Vietnamese much easier.
4.4. The meaning of words changes when the tone changes.
One of the special features of Vietnamese is the tonal system that represents the pitch of the voice. They are expressed by signs: ngang (no signs), sắc (sharp), huyền (slidedown), hỏi (question), ngã (laying), and nặng (drop).
That means that when the pitch of a word changes, the tone changes, which creates different meanings of words.
For example, changing the tone of the word: “Me – Tamarin” will create words with completely different meanings, such as:
- Mè – Sesame
- Mé – One side
- Mẻ – Fermented rice or vermicelli has a sour taste
- Mẽ – A person’s appearance implies irony
- Mẹ – Mother
5. Vowel and consonant system in Vietnamese
Vietnamese has:
- 12 simple vowels: a, ă, â, e, ê, o, oh, ê, i, u, u, y.
- 31 diphthongs: ai, ao, au, ay, âu, ây, eo, êu, ua, uă, uâ, uê, uô, uơ, ui, uy, ưa, ưi, ưu, ươ, ia, iê, iu, oa, oă, oe, oo, oi, ôi, ơi, yê
- 14 three vowel sounds: oai, oao, oay, oeo, uay, uây, uôi, uya, uyê, uyu, ươi, ươu, iêu, yêu
- 17 simple consonants: b, c, d, đ, g, h, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, x
- 11 compound consonants: ch, gh, gi, kh, ng, ngh, nh, ph, qu, th, tr
6. Vietnamese dialect regions
Many opinions agree on dividing Vietnamese into three basic dialect regions: North, Central, and South.
However, in reality, there are more specific Vietnamese dialects. For example, a group of the Middle dialect can cover various dialect areas with different characteristics, such as the Hue dialect, Quang Nam dialect, and Binh Dinh dialect.
The big difference between dialect regions creates a lot of difficulties for people learning Vietnamese for the first time. Ex, speakers familiar with the Northern dialect will have a few obstacles in understanding the pronunciation of Hue or Hoi An – Quang Nam people and vice versa.
Listening to and understanding Vietnamese dialects is even more challenging for international tourists.
But, sometimes, that dialect difference will bring you plenty of exciting experiences. For example, when using the word “Cảm ơn” (Thank you) in different regions, you will hear various ways of saying it, such as:
- Phu Yen people: “Kẻm ơn” – the vowel “a” in the word “Cảm” (thanks) is said incorrectly as “e”.
- Hoi An people will say “Cổm ơn” – the vowel “a” in the word “Cảm” (thanks) is changed to the “ô” sound.
- Hue people say: “Cạm ơn” – the “hỏi”(question) tone in the word “Cảm” (thanks) is transformed into the “nặng” (drop) tone.
7. Some basic Vietnamese communication sentences for tourists:
Lots of Vietnamese people can communicate in English at tourist destinations, so no worries, you can travel to Vietnam when you know only English .
However, when you can use a few basic Vietnamese sentences and words, you can make the conversation more interesting.
7.1. You may learn some common words and sentences as below:
Xin chào – / Xin chào/ (Hello)
Tạm biệt – /tarm byet/ (Goodbye)
Cảm ơn – /kam uhn/ (Thank you)
Bạn khỏe không- /ban kwe khom/ (How are you?)
Rất vui được gặp bạn – /rack vu duoc gef ban/ (Nice to meet you)
Bạn tên gì? – /ban ten zi/ (What is your name?)
Tôi tên là – /toy ten la/ (My name is)
Bạn nói tiếng Anh được không – / ban noi tien an duoc khom/ (Can you speak English?)
Chúc bạn vui vẻ – /chuok ban vui ve/ (Happy to you)
Món ăn này rất ngon – /mon ank nay rak ngon/ (This food is delicious)
Bao nhiêu tiền? – / bao niew tien/ (How much?)
Tôi muốn mua cái này – /toy mun mua kai ney/ (I want to buy this)
Có bớt không? – / co baed khom/ (Discount, please?)
7.2. Cardinal number:
Một – 1 – /mort/
Hai – 2 – /hi/
Ba – 3 – /ba/
Bốn – 4 – /bone/
Năm – 5 -/nom/
Sáu – 6 -/shoz/
Bảy – 7 – /by/
Tám – 8 – /tum/
Chín – 9 – /chin/
Mười – 10 – /muoi/
7.3. A few sentences in emergencies:
Giúp tôi với – /giup toy voi/ (Help me, please!)
Giúp tôi gọi cấp cứu – /giup toy goi kap kuw/ (Help me call an ambulance)
Tôi cần đi bệnh viện – /toy kan di benk vien/ (I need to go to the hospital)
Tôi muốn gặp bác sĩ – /toy mun gap bac si/ (I want to see a doctor)
Chỉ giúp tôi quầy bán thuốc – /Chi giup toy quey ban thuk/ (Please show me a pharmacy!)
Giúp tôi gọi cảnh sát – /giup toy goi kank sack/ (Help me call the police!)
Cứu tôi với – /kuw toy voi/ (Help me!)
Tôi bị đau – /toy bi down/ (I’m in pain)
If you want to discover more about Vietnamese, travel to Vietnam now. Vietnamdrive is here and available to support you in planning a perfect trip in this beautiful country.
Linguistics Master Vu Xuan Thinh wrote this article under the order of Vietnamdrive. We have all rights to translate and use it.
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Việt Nam News
Việt nam nominated in multiple categories for the 2024 world tourism awards.
HÀ NỘI Việt Nam has received nominations in several significant categories at the 31st edition of the World Travel Awards (WTA) for the Asia and Oceania region. The voting is now open and can be accessed at worldtravelawards.com .
These categories include Asia's Leading Beach Destination 2024, Asia's Leading Culture Destination 2024, Asia's Leading Destination 2024, Asia's Leading Heritage Destination 2024, Asia's Leading Natural Destination 2024, and Asia's Leading Youth Travel Destination 2024.
The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has been nominated for the category of Asia's Leading Tourism Board 2024.
Many of Vietnamese tourism highlights have also been nominated in various categories. Among them, the Hanoi Department of Tourism and HCM City Department of Tourism have been nominated for Asia's Leading City Tourist Board 2024. The Quảng Nam Department of Tourism has been nominated for the title of Asia's Leading Regional City Tourist Board 2024.
HCM City has been nominated for Asia's Leading Business Travel Destination 2024 and Hà Nội has been nominated in two categories - Asia's Leading City Break Destination 2024 and Asia's Leading City Destination 2024.
Hội An and Huế have both been nominated in the category of Asia's Leading Culture City Destination 2024. The northern provinces of Hà Giang and Hà Nam have been nominated in the category of Asia's Leading Emerging Tourism Destination 2024. Hà Nam is also listed in the category of Asia's Leading Regional Cultural Destination 2024.
Đà Nẵng and HCM City have both been nominated in the category of Asia's Festival and Event Destination 2024.
Phú Quốc has been nominated for the award of Asia's Leading Luxury Island Destination 2023 and Mộc Châu has been nominated as Asia's Leading Regional Natural Destination 2024.
Việt Nam’s tourism has also received many other nominations in the fields of aviation, hotels, travel agencies, and top attractions in Asia.
The voting is now open and can be accessed at worldtravelawards.com . It will end on July 23.
WTA was established in 1993 and is often referred to as the "Oscars" of the travel industry. The awards are held annually to honour outstanding destinations and quality tourism service providers in various categories such as airlines, hotels, resorts, travel companies, and tourist destinations.
In 2023, Việt Nam was recognised in 45 top categories of awards in Asia for tourism. At the national level, the country received the "Asia's Leading Destination 2023" and "Asia's Leading Nature Destination 2023" awards. This marks the 5th time that Việt Nam has been voted as the "Asia's Leading Destination," including three consecutive wins in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. It is also Việt Nam’s 2nd consecutive win for the "Asia's Leading Nature Destination" award in 2022 and 2023. VNS
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Planned Release Date: 2024
About this game.
- - Interactive cartoons return! Talk directly to Amanda like before, but now your input has a bigger effect on her world
- New interaction type: GET UP! Go out and explore the environment to find something Amanda asks for, or don't! See how she responds!
- New Area: Kensdale Public Library - You're not at Aunt Kate's anymore! Explore a bigger environment with even more secrets and lore to find!
- New Friends! Neither Riley or Amanda will be alone on their adventures with friends by their side!
- Dig even deeper into the story of Amanda, Riley and Aunt Kate, and the sinister production of Amanda the Adventurer to unfold a horrifying history
Mature Content Description
The developers describe the content like this:
Blood, mild language, psychological horror
System Requirements
- OS *: Windows 7 or higher
- Processor: Quad-core Intel or AMD processor, 2.0 GHz or Faster
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 470 GTX or AMD Radeon 6870 HD Series
- DirectX: Version 11
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Vietnamese people are naturally quiet and polite so raising your voice or speaking in a boisterous tone might turn them away. Remember, a smile is your biggest asset, especially in a busy city like Hanoi. Use it when interacting with people! Yes - vang (north), da (south) No- khong. Thank you- Cám ơn.
Em - literally, younger person, generally reserved for a younger sister, younger female relative, or a younger female acquaintance. This is the equivalent of "my dear". Anh - older brother. Chị - older sister - woman older than you by up to 10-20 years. Chú (literally, "Mister" with implications toward "uncle")
Enhance your Vietnam travel experience with these essential Vietnamese phrases! Explore the most frequently used Vietnamese words now! Start Learning. ... The Vietnamese language is relatively uniform across Vietnam, making the basic words and phrases suitable for use throughout the country. However, depending on the region you are visiting ...
98 Must-Know Vietnamese Phrases for Your Adventure. Alright, let's dive into the heart of our Vietnamese language journey! We're starting with the basics, cruising through essential transportation phrases, savoring the food-related ones, and winding up with those all-important emergency phrases.
The Vietnamese language shares roots with Khmer, or Cambodian. But it is also heavily influenced by the Chinese, who conquered the region in the 6th century and ruled for 400 years. The French added their own contributions beginning in the 17th century. One of the hardest things about the language is that it has six different tones and vowel ...
By William July 2, 2021. After travelling in Vietnam for a number of months, I continuously find myself needing a core set of phrases. Here, we present audio and tonal-annotations to help you learn 15 key expressions for travellers in Vietnam: from "Help!" to "Wifi password please" to "That's too expensive!". TIP FOR VIETNAM.
Over half of the Vietnamese population can speak English to some level, and most people in tourist areas will have fairly decent English skills. Vietnamese belongs to the Austroasiatic group of languages, together with other lingos spoken across the South and Southeast Asia, such as Khmer and Mon.
The Vietnamese language originated in Vietnam and is considered to be an Austroasiatic and analytic language, with over 90 million speakers all around the globe. ... Vietnamese for Tourists. Even though English is widely spoken in Vietnam, many locals including those who live in rural areas don't use it on a frequent basis, if ever ...
Vietnamese people are renowned for their hospitality and generosity. Though the country's secondary language is English, only a minority uses it daily, especially in suburban areas. Knowing basic Vietnamese phrases is undoubtedly a privilege for travelers. The closer you get to the locals, the more you are unlocked from the country's hidden ...
In the south of Vietnam, the way to say yes is "Dạ", while people in the north use "Vâng". "Không", which is "No" in English, is pronounced the same everywhere. 4. Cảm ơn (cam on) - Thank you. Image credit: @matthieu_go. Vietnamese people use this phrase very often. It's also a magic phrase to help you win more warm ...
Instead, they say "hey you!" but use different versions of "you" to indicate respect. Use the following variations depending on who you're talking to: For a male or female younger than you - Em ơi (em oi). Em means "younger sibling." For a woman a bit older than you - Chị ơi (chi oi). Chị means "older sister."
Vietnamese phrases for travel and words like 'thank you,' 'goodbye,' and 'sorry,' should be your priority to learn. You can see how easy they are! Let's practice: 1. Xin Chào! (Hello, Hi) ' Xin chào ' is a basic way to say hi, hello to a new friend in daily conversation. To sound like a native speaker, you can say something ...
Vietnamese is the official language of Vietnam, spoken by around 70 million people. It is a tonal language, meaning that the meaning of a word can change depending on how it is pronounced. ... This guide will teach you some essential Vietnamese phrases for travel, such as greetings, asking for directions, ordering food, and bargaining. We will ...
Vietnamese is a fascinating language because it's a tonal language. This means that even though a lot of words are spelled the same, they sound totally different. The tones are marked using several accents, usually placed on vowels. ... Below we've compiled a list of useful Vietnamese phrases and vocabulary for tourists to use in day to day ...
Here is the useful list of 10 essential phrases for foreign tourists when travelling in Vietnam. 1. Hello. Vietnamese: Xin chào /sin jow/. This is the most general way to greeting in Vietnam. The word "chào" means "hello" or "hi" in English but Vietnamese rarely use it alone. In fact, they will add more words after "chào ...
Vietnam Language Basic Vietnamese Words & Phrases for Tourists to Vietnam. Posted on May 5, 2016 October 10, 2018 by Stephen. 05 May. ... Viet Vision Travel customizes unique Vietnam vacation, Vietnam tour packages, and multi-country tours to help you explore Vietnam & Indochina on your way. We are a passionate team of one hundred avid ...
This phrase is used as an extra polite way of saying hello. It's how friends in Vietnam often greet each other. Một, hai, ba, vô! (mote hi ba yo) — 1, 2, 3, cheers! It's rude to drink alone when you're in a group in Vietnam, so be prepared to say this a lot. Không sao (comb saow) / No problem.
Although Vietnamese is a very difficult language to learn, most travelers will only need to know a few basic words and phrases to get by. In this video XO To...
Vietnamese Phrases. Walking the Hue Citadel. Photo by Aaron Joel Santos . Xin chào /Sin chow!/ Hello. Khỏe không? /kweh kohng?/ How are you? Khoẻ, cảm ơn. /kweh, gauhm uhhn/ Fine, thank you. ... The entered email has subscribed for Vietnam Tourism monthly newsletter .
Vietnam Language & travel dictionary. Vietnamese (tiếng Việt) is the national and official language of Vietnam and is spoken by a large majority of the population. It is also one of the few languages in Asia that uses the Latin alphabet instead of symbols. This makes it a lot easier to interpret street signs and even learn to speak in ...
Vietnam's official language. Well. It is worth knowing that among the 54 ethnic groups living together in Vietnam today, 85% use Vietnamese (Kinh) as their mother tongue. This is the official language used by citizens in Vietnam and the community of 4 million Vietnamese living abroad, mainly in the Czech Republic, the United States, France ...
Regarding the origin of Vietnamese writing. Vietnamese listed as the top 20th language in the world. Outstanding features of the Vietnamese language. 4.1. Vietnamese does not have "Tense". 4.2. Words do not change form. 4.3. Vietnamese does not distinguish between "Gender".
https://bit.ly/3fpwbHF ← If you want to study more, click here and get the best resources to learn in the most efficient way. ↓ More details below ↓Step 1: G...
Here are some basic rules of producing Vietnamese: Đ - D with a stroke is pronounced like the English 'd'. The tip of your tongue touches behind your top front teeth. D (with no stroke) - This is pronounced as a 'yer' sound. For example dạ - meaning 'yes' is pronounced 'ya'. E - This is pronounced as the 'e' in bed.
Regions where French is an official or administrative language but not a majority native language ... cultural, educational, de facto official language: Vietnam: Asia: 99,460,000: Administrative (diplomatic), cultural, some educational, working language in medicine, science, and law: See also. Geographical distribution of French speakers;
A clear, easy and helpful video WITH NORTHERN ACCENT about every basic thing you would need to know for a short holiday in Vietnam, including Basic phrases, ...
KINGSTON, R.I.—May 13, 2024—Juliana Nguyen, of Cranston, is one of four University of Rhode Island students who will travel abroad this summer as a David L. Boren Award recipient. The Boren Awards are a highly selective federal government scholarship program that supports foreign language and cultural study to promote greater understanding between nations.
In 2023, Việt Nam was recognised in 45 top categories of awards in Asia for tourism. At the national level, the country received the "Asia's Leading Destination 2023" and "Asia's Leading Nature Destination 2023" awards. This marks the 5th time that Việt Nam has been voted as the "Asia's Leading Destination," including three consecutive wins ...
The train departs from Nha Trang in the afternoon and arrives at Da Nang after midnight. Running in the opposite direction, the train leaves Da Nang in the morning and gets to Nha Trang in the mid ...
Amanda the Adventurer 2 follows Riley Park, who, after seeing what was contained on the mysterious tapes in their attic, travels to the Kensdale Public Library to investigate further. Upon arriving, they're greeted by a masked figure who claims to know their Aunt Kate, before she died and needs their help finding something Aunt Kate had left in ...