Basic Vietnamese Phrases and Words for Travellers
Although many Vietnamese can speak basic English in big cities, it may be challenging to find one in rural areas or off-the-beaten-path areas.
To have the best trip to Vietnam (and make some Vietnamese friends), I recommend learning a few basic Vietnamese phrases and words before traveling to Vietnam.
To learn Vietnamese, please check my Vietnamese Guide site for more guides.
1. Addressing people
| English | Vietnamese |
| I | tôi |
| you | bạn |
| he | anh |
| she | chị |
| it | nó |
| younger people | em |
2. Greetings in Vietnamese
Vietnamese people love talking to foreigners and making new friends (but we can be shy), so start a conversation first if you’d like to.
| English | Vietnamese |
| hello | xin chào |
| bye | tạm biệt |
| How are you? | Bạn khoẻ không? |
| I’m fine. | Tôi khoẻ. |
| See you again. | Hẹn gặp lại. |
| thank you | cảm ơn |
| sorry | xin lỗi |
| yes | có |
| no | không |
| What’s your name? | Tên bạn là gì? |
| My name is | Tên tôi là. |
| Can you speak English? | Bạn nói tiếng Anh được không? |
3. Asking for directions in Vietnamese
If you’d like to ask for any location, you can ask …. o dau?
For example:
- Where is the hotel? – Khách sạn ở đâu?
- Where is the restaurant? – Nhà hàng ở đâu?
- Where am I? – Tôi đang ở đâu?
- Where is the taxi? – Taxi ở đâu?
| English | Vietnamese |
| go straight | đi thẳng |
| turn left | rẽ trái |
| turn right | rẽ phải |
| stop | dừng lại |
| go to the airport | đi tới sân bay |
| How far is it? | Nó xa không? |
| wait 5 minutes | đợi 5 phút |
| district | quận |
Basic Vietnamese words for location
| English | Vietnamese |
| hotel | khách sạn |
| restaurant | nhà hàng |
| toilet | nhà vệ sinh |
| police station | sở cảnh sát |
| hospital | khách sạn |
| gas station | trạm xăng |
| train station | nhà ga |
| bus station | trạm xe buýt |
4. Bargaining in Vietnamese
Because there are several tourist traps in Vietnam (unfortunately), you should bargain first when you purchase anything.
You can start with 10% – 50% less than the price a seller tells you.
Also, if you use a traditional taxi, you must ask how much it costs before entering a cab because they may charge you higher.
| English | Vietnamese |
| How much? | Bao nhiêu? |
| Too expensive! | Mắc quá! |
| Can you reduce the price? | Giảm giá được không? |
| Is there anything cheaper? | Có cái nào rẻ hơn không? |
| I want to buy it. | Tôi muốn mua nó. |
| One size larger. | Size lớn hơn. |
| One size smaller. | Size nhỏ hơn. |
| thousands VND. | ngàn đồng. |
5. Numbers in Vietnamese
| English | Vietnamese |
| 1 | một |
| 2 | hai |
| 3 | ba |
| 4 | bốn |
| 5 | năm |
| 6 | sáu |
| 7 | bảy |
| 8 | tám |
| 9 | chín |
| 10 | mười |
6. Dining out
Vietnamese food is tasty!
You should ask for an English menu first when you enter a restaurant. However, not all Vietnamese restaurants have an English menu for foreigners, so it may be difficult to order.
| English | Vietnamese |
| Excuse me (to waitress)! | Chị ơi |
| Excuse me (to waiter)! | Anh ơi |
| What is it? | Cái này là gì? |
| The bill, please. | Tính tiền. |
| Can I have a menu? | Cho tôi menu. |
| I’m a vegetarian. | Tôi ăn chay. |
| Can I have a beer? | Cho tôi một chai bia. |
| Give me + name of the food or drinks. | Cho tôi + name. |
| One more, please. | Thêm một cái. |
| I cannot eat pork. | Tôi không ăn thịt heo. |
| I’m allergic to peanuts. | Tôi dị ứng đậu phộng. |
| Cheers! | 1, 2, 3 dô. |
| Where is the toilet? | Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu? |
| no sugar | không đường |
| no ice | không đá |
| no spicy | không cay |
Basic Vietnamese phrases and words for food & drinks
Vietnamese food is delicious! Here is the list of words you should know to order food and drinks.
| English | Vietnamese |
| rice | cơm |
| egg noodles | mì |
| rice noodles | bún |
| porridge | cháo |
| beef | bò |
| pork | heo |
| chicken | gà |
| fish | cá |
| seafood | hải sản |
| water | nước |
| milk | sữa |
| orange juice | nước cam |
| tea | trà |
| beer | bia |
| liquid | rượu |
| fruit | trái cây |
| apple | táo |
| orange | cam |
| mango | xoài |
| coconut | dừa |
7. Emergency
In case of an emergency, you should remember the Vietnamese phrases below.
| English | Vietnamese |
| I am sick. | Tôi bị bệnh. |
| I have food poisoning. | Tôi bị ngộ độc thực phẩm. |
| Where is the hospital? | Bệnh viện ở đâu? |
| I need a doctor. | Tôi cần bác sĩ. |
| I was robbed. | Tôi bị cướp. |
| Call the police. | Gọi cảnh sát. |
| Help me. | Giúp tôi. |
| Please. | Làm ơn. |
| Take me to the hospital/ police station. | Đưa tôi tới bệnh viện/ cảnh sát. |
