Common Vietnamese Phrases

 

Common Vietnamese Phrases for Social Interactions

Vietnamese Phrase	English Translation	Usage Notes
1. Xin chào	Hello	General greeting
2. Chào bạn	Hello (friend)	Friendly, casual
3. Chào anh/chị	Hello (older brother/sister)	Respectful greeting
4. Chào ông/bà	Hello (elderly man/woman)	Very respectful, for elders
5. Cảm ơn	Thank you	Polite response
6. Cảm ơn rất nhiều	Thank you very much	Polite, emphatic
7. Không có gì	You're welcome	Casual response
8. Xin lỗi	I'm sorry	Apologetic
9. Không sao đâu	It’s okay / No worries	Casual, forgiving
10. Bạn khỏe không?	How are you?	Casual inquiry
11. Anh/chị khỏe không?	How are you? (to older male/female)	Polite, respectful
12. Rất vui được gặp bạn	(Very) Nice to meet you	Formal introduction
13. Hẹn gặp lại	See you again	Casual goodbye
14. Tạm biệt	Goodbye	Neutral goodbye
15. Chúc mừng sinh nhật	Happy birthday	Birthday wish
16. Chúc sức khỏe	Good health to you	Polite wish
17. Chúc ngủ ngon	Good night	Friendly farewell at night
18. Chúc may mắn	Good luck	Encouragement
19. Chúc mừng!	Congratulations!	For celebrations
20. Mời vào	Please come in	Inviting someone in
21. Xin mời	Please go ahead	Polite invitation
22. Bạn đang làm gì vậy?	What are you doing?	Casual inquiry
23. Bạn có rảnh không?	Are you free?	Making plans
24. Đi chơi nhé	Let’s hang out	Casual invitation
25. Bạn đến từ đâu?	Where are you from?	Casual question
26. Bạn sống ở đâu?	Where do you live?	Neutral question
27. Tôi không hiểu	I don’t understand	Seeking clarification
28. Giúp tôi với	Help me, (please)	Asking for help
29. Có gì mới không?	What's new?	Casual conversation starter
30. Bạn thích làm gì?	What do you like to do?	Getting to know someone
31. Bao nhiêu tiền?	How much is it(does it cost)?	Asking for prices
32. Tôi mời bạn	It’s on me	Offering to pay
33. Rất vui lòng	My pleasure	Polite response
34. Được rồi	Alright	Casual agreement
35. Cẩn thận nhé	Be careful	Showing care
36. Đừng lo	Don’t worry	Reassurance
37. Bạn có thể giúp tôi không?	Can you help me?	Polite request
38. Bạn có thích không?	Do you like it?	Asking for opinion
39. Được chứ?	Is that okay? / Okay?	Checking approval
40. Tôi nghĩ vậy	I think so	Sharing opinion
41. Tôi thích	I like it	Expressing liking
42. Tôi không thích	I don’t like it	Expressing dislike
43. Chuyện gì vậy?	What’s going on?	Casual inquiry
44. Làm ơn	Please	Polite expression
45. Thật vậy sao?	Really?	Expressing surprise
46. Cố lên!	Keep going!	Encouragement
47. Tuyệt quá	Awesome	Positive reaction
48. Đúng rồi	That’s right	Agreeing
49. Sai rồi	That’s wrong	Disagreeing
50. Tôi hiểu rồi	I understand	Acknowledgement

These phrases are practical for conversations and building rapport in Vietnamese, covering both polite and casual interactions.

Where are you from?                    Bạn đến từ đâu?
I am from (country).                     Tôi đến từ (quốc gia).

What is your phone number?        Số điện thoại của bạn là gì?

My phone number is 123              Số điện thoại của tôi là 123

Thank you                                     Cảm ơn bạn

I want a cup of hot coffee             Tôi muốn một tách cà phê nóng

Numbers

 

Lẻ        and as a hundred separator

Số        Number

Tứ        Four

Lăm     Five

Vietnamese Pronouns and Grammar Guide

 

Person	Gender	Vietnamese Pronoun	English Equivalent	Approximate Age Range	Common Expression / Usage Notes
First Person	Male	Tôi	I	Any age	Formal, neutral, used in most settings
	Female	Tôi	I	Any age	Formal, neutral, used in most settings
	Either	Tớ	I	Informal, under 30	Casual, friendly; used with peers
	Either	Mình	I	Any age	Casual, for close friends/family
	Male	Ông	I	Elderly (over 60)	Used by elderly men with younger people for respect
	Female	Bà	I	Elderly (over 60)	Used by elderly women with younger people for respect
	Male	Bác	I	Older than addressee	Respected, neutral, older sibling or peer of parents
	Male	Chú	I	Middle-aged or older	Younger than parents, still respectful
	Female	Cô	I	Middle-aged or older	Younger than parents, still respectful
Second Person	Male	Bạn	You	Any age	Formal, polite, neutral
	Female	Bạn	You	Any age	Formal, polite, neutral
	Either	Cậu	You	Informal, under 30	Casual, friendly; used with close friends
	Either	Mày	You	Informal, any age	Informal, can be rude if used with strangers
	Male	Ông	You	Elderly (over 60)	Used to address elderly men respectfully
	Female	Bà	You	Elderly (over 60)	Used to address elderly women respectfully
	Male	Anh	You	Over 20, slightly older	Respected older brother or older peer
	Female	Chị	You	Over 20, slightly older	Respected older sister or older peer
	Male	Em	You	Under 20, younger	Used to address younger people, friendly
	Female	Em	You	Under 20, younger	Used to address younger people, friendly
Third Person	Male	Anh ấy	He	Over 20	Formal, respectful, for acquaintances and colleagues
	Female	Cô ấy	She	Over 20	Formal, respectful, for acquaintances and colleagues
	Either	Nó	He/She	Informal, any age	Informal, can be disrespectful if used incorrectly
	Either	Họ	They	Any age	Neutral, formal, respectful
	Male	Ông ấy	He	Elderly (over 60)	Respectful address for elderly men
	Female	Bà ấy	She	Elderly (over 60)	Respectful address for elderly women
	Male	Anh ấy	He	Over 20, slightly older	Respected older brother or male peer
	Female	Chị ấy	She	Over 20, slightly older	Respected older sister or female peer
	Male	Em ấy	He	Under 20, younger	Used for younger male, neutral
	Female	Em ấy	She	Under 20, younger	Used for younger female, neutral

Basic Grammar

• Subject-Verb-Object Order: Vietnamese sentences typically follow a Subject-Verb-Object structure.

  • Example: "Tôi ăn cơm" (I eat rice).

• Particles for Respect:

  • Particles like "ạ" are added for respect, especially when addressing elders.
  • Example: "Con cảm ơn ạ" (Thank you, respectfully).

• Pronoun Use with Age and Respect:

  • Pronouns reflect age and respect, with unique terms for older individuals and respected relations.