Essential Vietnamese Phrases for Visitors
Forty phrases that get you 80% of daily situations — hello, ordering, prices, directions, polite refusal.
You will get by in Vietnamese cities with English, gestures, and Google Translate. But a few phrases — even badly pronounced — change how people respond to you. They signal effort.
Greetings and basics
| Vietnamese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Xin chào | Hello (formal) |
| Chào anh / chị / em | Hello (using kinship pronoun for older man / older woman / younger person) |
| Tạm biệt | Goodbye |
| Cảm ơn | Thank you |
| Không có gì | You're welcome |
| Xin lỗi | Sorry / excuse me |
| Vâng / dạ | Yes (north / south) |
| Không | No |
| Bạn khỏe không? | How are you? |
| Tôi khỏe | I'm well |
Numbers (1–10)
một, hai, ba, bốn, năm, sáu, bảy, tám, chín, mười
Useful pattern: numbers above ten just compound — mười một (11), mười hai (12), hai mươi (20), hai mươi mốt (21).
Money and prices
| Vietnamese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bao nhiêu tiền? | How much? |
| Mắc quá / đắt quá | Too expensive (south / north) |
| Có giảm giá không? | Can you give a discount? |
| Tính tiền | The bill, please |
| Nghìn | Thousand (đồng) |
| Triệu | Million (đồng) |
Tip: Vietnamese prices drop the đồng in speech. "Năm mươi" (50) usually means 50,000 đồng — năm chục in informal speech.
Eating
| Vietnamese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tôi ăn chay | I'm vegetarian |
| Không cay | Not spicy |
| Không đường | No sugar |
| Không đá | No ice |
| Một bát phởPhở (Pho)fuhVietnam's national noodle soup: a clear beef or chicken broth served with flat rice noodles, fresh herbs, and lime. bò | One bowl of beef phở |
| Một ly cà phê sữa đá | One iced coffee with milk |
| Ngon quá | Very tasty |
| No rồi | I'm full |
| Vô! / Yô! | Cheers! |
Directions
| Vietnamese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ở đâu? | Where? |
| Bên trái / bên phải | Left / right |
| Đi thẳng | Go straight |
| Gần đây | Nearby |
| Xa | Far |
| Đường | Road / street |
| Bệnh viện | Hospital |
| Nhà hàng | Restaurant |
| Khách sạn | Hotel |
| Sân bay | Airport |
Polite refusal
A lot of street-side selling in Vietnam responds to engagement. A confident, smiling Không, cảm ơn (No, thank you) — repeated if needed — is more effective than ignoring. Walking past with a small wave and cảm ơn is what locals do.
Emergencies
| Vietnamese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cứu tôi với! | Help! |
| Cảnh sát | Police |
| Cấp cứu | Emergency / ambulance |
| Tôi bị mất... | I lost... |
| Tôi cần bác sĩ | I need a doctor |
| Gọi xe cứu thương | Call an ambulance |
National emergency numbers: 113 (police), 114 (fire), 115 (ambulance).
Regional dialects
Vietnamese splits into three major dialects, each with distinct sounds and vocabulary. Most learning materials teach the northern dialect, but you'll encounter regional variation throughout the country.
| Feature | Northern (Hanoi) | Central (Hue) | Southern (HCMC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 'd' pronunciation | Hard /z/ at word start (da = "zah") | /j/ like English "yes" (da = "yah") | /j/ like English "yes" (da = "yah") |
| 'r' pronunciation | Strong /z/ sound (ra = "zah") | /j/ sound (ra = "yah") | /j/ sound (ra = "yah") |
| Final consonants | Preserved, distinct (chap, chit, chop, chut) | Some merging; less sharp | Heavy merging; softer |
| Tone count | 6 tones (most standard) | 6 tones | 6 tones (lower pitch range) |
| Common vocabulary — "spoon" | cái thìa | cái thìa | cái muỗng |
| Common vocabulary — "small" | nhỏ | nhỏ | bé |
| Common vocabulary — "expensive" | mắc | mắc | đắt |
| Common vocabulary — "yes" (polite) | vâng | vâng | dạ |
| Common vocabulary — "hello" (informal) | Chào bạn | Chào bạn | Chào mầy (casual) |
| Common vocabulary — "uncle" | bác, chú, cậu | bác, chú | bác, chú |
| Intonation flatness | Crisp, distinct tones; more musical | Moderate variation; smoother | Flatter, more drawn-out tones |
| Most learning materials teach | Northern — default in schools and textbooks (70% of formal instruction, approximate) | Rarely featured standalone | Rarely featured standalone |
Note: regional differences typically emerge in casual conversation and rural areas. In cities and formal settings, northern Vietnamese is widely understood.
Alphabet and tones
Vietnamese uses a modified Latin script with diacritical marks for tones. There are 6 tones in all major dialects (as of 2026); tone is determined by a combination of voice pitch movement and vocal quality over the vowel.
| Tone | Symbol | Letter example | Approximate English sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level (1st) | none | ma (ghost) | Monotone, mid-pitch — like saying "hmm?" with no question rise |
| Rising (2nd) | ´ acute | má (mother) | Rising pitch — like English "what?", where pitch goes up at the end |
| Question (3rd) | ̉ hook above | mả (tomb) | Starts mid, dips down, then rises — like a question in some English dialects |
| Tumbling (4th) | ̀ grave | mà (but) | Sharp drop, then flattens — like saying "uh-oh" with stress on the drop |
| Heavy (5th) | ̃ tilde | mã (horse) | Mid-to-low, creaky/breathy voice quality — like a frog croak |
| Rising-short (6th) | ̛ horn + grave | mạ (rice seedling) | Starts low, rises sharply, cut short — like "meep!" in cartoon speech |
Tones in practice
The most famous Vietnamese minimal set uses the syllable ma. Here are six word pairs covering common essential-phrases contexts:
| Word | Tone | Meaning | Approximate pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ma | Level (1st) | ghost | "mah" (flat, mid-pitch) |
| má | Rising (2nd) | mother | "máh" (rises like "what?") |
| mả | Question (3rd) | tomb | "mảh" (dips then rises) |
| mà | Tumbling (4th) | but / conjuction | "mah" (sharp drop) |
| mã | Heavy (5th) | horse | "mah" (creaky, low-mid) |
| mạ | Rising-short (6th) | rice seedling | "mah" (low-to-high, clipped) |
Getting tones right typically improves comprehension more than grammatical perfection. Native speakers will usually understand context — a mispronounced tone rarely prevents communication, but consistent tone work shows serious effort.
What people say to you
A few phrases you'll hear pointed at you, useful to recognise:
- Em ơi! / Anh ơi! / Chị ơi! — "Hey [younger/older man/older woman]!" — used to get attention politely. Not rude.
- Đi đâu? — "Where are you going?" Common greeting from drivers and shopkeepers; the answer can be a destination or just a smile.
- Mua đi mua đi — "Buy buy" — market sellers urging.
- Ăn cơm chưa? — "Have you eaten rice yet?" — a friendly check-in, like "how are you." The polite answer is usually Ăn rồi (already eaten).
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