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Essential Vietnamese phrases
for travellers (printable)
how to say hello in vietnamese
Xin chào — sin CHOW — is how you say hello in Vietnamese. It works at any hour, anywhere the language is spoken, with anyone. Pair it with Cảm ơn (gahm URN) for thank you and you already have the two words you will use most.
Below are 36 phrases worth knowing before you land, grouped by the situation you will need them in. Every one has a plain-English respelling — stress in capitals — but the tone marks carry the meaning — because IPA is no use to anyone standing at a pharmacy counter. Vietnam — around 85 million speakers, with large communities in the United States, France and Australia. Also searched as Vietnam, Viet.
take it with you
The whole card, on one page
All 36 phrases on a single sheet — print it, fold it into a passport, or keep it on your phone. Free, no signup, no watermark.
The essentials
The six words that carry most of a trip.
| English | Vietnamese |
|---|---|
| Hello | Xin chàosin CHOW |
| Goodbye | Tạm biệttahm BYET |
| Please | Làm ơnlahm URN |
| Thank you | Cảm ơngahm URN |
| Yes / No | Vâng / Khôngvung / khohng |
| Excuse me / Sorry | Xin lỗisin LOY |
Getting by
What to say when the conversation outruns you.
| English | Vietnamese |
|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | Bạn có nói tiếng Anh không?bahn kaw noy tyeng ahn khohng |
| I don't understand | Tôi không hiểutoy khohng HYOW |
| Could you repeat that? | Bạn nói lại được không?bahn noy lai duhk khohng |
| Please speak slowly | Xin nói chậmsin noy CHUM |
| My name is… | Tôi tên là…toy ten lah |
| Nice to meet you | Rất vui được gặp bạnzut vooy duhk gap bahn |
Getting around
Streets, stations and the one question everyone needs.
| English | Vietnamese |
|---|---|
| Where is…? | … ở đâu?… uh DOW |
| How do I get to…? | Làm sao đến…?lahm sao den |
| Where is the toilet? | Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu?nyah veh sing uh DOW |
| Left / Right | Trái / Phảichai / fai |
| Straight ahead | Đi thẳngdee THANG |
| Is it far? | Có xa không?kaw sah khohng |
Food and drink
Ordering, allergies, and asking for the bill.
| English | Vietnamese |
|---|---|
| A table for two, please | Bàn cho hai ngườibahn chaw hai NGUH-ee |
| The menu, please | Cho tôi thực đơnchaw toy thuhk URN |
| I would like… | Tôi muốn…toy MOO-un |
| Water, please | Cho tôi nướcchaw toy NUH-uk |
| I am allergic to… | Tôi bị dị ứng với…toy bee zee UNG vuh-ee |
| The bill, please | Tính tiềnting TYEN |
Shopping and money
Prices, cards, and politely not buying anything.
| English | Vietnamese |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | Bao nhiêu tiền?bao NYOW tyen |
| That's too expensive | Đắt quádaht KWAH |
| Do you take cards? | Có nhận thẻ không?kaw nyun the khohng |
| I am just looking | Tôi chỉ xem thôitoy chee sem thoy |
| Do you have…? | Có … không?kaw … khohng |
| A receipt, please | Cho tôi hóa đơnchaw toy hwah URN |
Emergencies
Worth reading once before you need them.
| English | Vietnamese |
|---|---|
| Help! | Cứu tôi!kuh-oo toy |
| Call the police | Gọi công angoy kohng ahn |
| Call an ambulance | Gọi xe cứu thươnggoy se kuh-oo thuh-ung |
| I need a doctor | Tôi cần bác sĩtoy kun bahk see |
| I am lost | Tôi bị lạctoy bee lahk |
| Where is the hospital? | Bệnh viện ở đâu?beng vyen uh DOW |
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Four things that fix
most of the accent
Six tones, and the marks tell you which
Level (no mark), à falling, á rising, ả dipping, ã broken, ạ heavy and cut short. Unlike Thai or Chinese, the tone is written right there on the vowel — which makes Vietnamese the easiest tonal language to read aloud.
It uses the Latin alphabet
A 17th-century Portuguese and French invention called quốc ngữ. You can sound out any sign on day one, which is not true of anywhere else in mainland Southeast Asia.
đ is a d — plain d is not
The barred đ is the English d. An unbarred d is a z in the north and a y in the south. Đông and dong are different words.
North and south differ audibly
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City pronounce several consonants differently and use some different vocabulary. The written language is the same and nobody will fail to understand you.
Spotted a mistake in the Vietnamese? Tell us and we will fix it.
You will not remember
all 36
Nobody does. OmniTalk speaks Vietnamese for you in real time — point the camera at a menu, or put the phone between you and let it translate both sides of the conversation as you talk. It works offline once you download the language, so it keeps going when your roaming does not.