Basic Vietnamese phrases: the 30 you will actually use

The basic Vietnamese phrases you will use most are greetings, thank-yous, apologies, yes and no, and a few questions about food and prices. Below are 30 of them, grouped by situation, with a plain pronunciation hint and a note on when each one fits.

Pronunciation hints are only rough guides. Vietnamese is tonal, so the best next step is to listen to a native speaker say each phrase and copy the melody, not just the letters.

Before you start: pronouns

Vietnamese rarely uses a flat "you." Instead, people choose a word based on age and relationship. For beginners, these four cover most situations:

anh (ahn): a man a bit older than you, or a man your age you want to be polite to
chị (chee): a woman a bit older than you
em (em): someone younger than you
bạn (bahn): a neutral "you" for a peer or stranger around your age

Many of the phrases below include "anh" or "chị." Swap in the right word for the person in front of you.

Greetings and goodbyes

Xin chào (sin chow): Hello. Polite and textbook-standard.
Chào anh / Chào chị (chow ahn / chow chee): Hi, to an older man or woman. This is what people use most day to day.
Tạm biệt (tahm bee-et): Goodbye. A bit formal.
Hẹn gặp lại (hen gap lie): See you again.
Bạn khỏe không? (bahn kweh khohng): How are you? Literally "Are you healthy?"
Tôi khỏe, cảm ơn (toy kweh, gahm uhn): I'm fine, thanks.

Polite essentials

Cảm ơn (gahm uhn): Thank you. Also spelled cám ơn, especially in the South.
Cảm ơn nhiều (gahm uhn nyew): Thanks a lot.
Không có gì (khohng gaw zee): You're welcome. Literally "It's nothing."
Xin lỗi (sin loy): Sorry, or excuse me.
Dạ (yah in the South, zah in the North): A polite "yes" or "I'm listening," used with elders.
Không sao đâu (khohng sow doh): It's okay, no problem.

Yes, no and getting unstuck

Vâng (vuhng): Yes, polite. More common in the North.
Không (khohng): No. Also means "not."
Tôi không hiểu (toy khohng hyew): I don't understand.
Nói chậm lại được không? (noy chum lie duhk khohng): Can you speak more slowly?
Cái này là gì? (guy nay lah zee): What is this?
Chờ chút (chuh choot): Wait a moment.

Food and drinks

Cho tôi cái này (chaw toy guy nay): I'll have this one. Pointing works well with this.
Ngon quá! (ngawn gwah): So delicious!
Không cay (khohng kai): Not spicy.
Một ly cà phê sữa đá (moht lee gah feh suh-ah dah): One iced coffee with condensed milk.
Tính tiền (ting tee-en): The check, please.
Nước (nuh-uhk): Water.

Shopping and getting around

Bao nhiêu tiền? (bow nyew tee-en): How much is it?
Đắt quá! (daht gwah): Too expensive! In the South you will also hear mắc quá.
Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu? (nyah veh sing uh doh): Where is the restroom?
Đi thẳng (dee tahng): Go straight.
Dừng ở đây (zung uh day): Stop here. Handy with taxis and ride-hailing drivers.
Ở đâu? (uh doh): Where?

What makes these phrases sound natural?

A few small habits make a big difference.

Add the person's pronoun. "Cảm ơn" is fine. "Cảm ơn anh" or "Cảm ơn chị" sounds warmer and more natural.

Use softeners. Ending a sentence with nhé (North) or nha (South) makes requests friendlier. "Không cay nha" is a gentle "not spicy, okay?"

Add ạ for elders. The particle ạ at the end of a sentence shows respect. "Cảm ơn ạ" is a polite thank-you to someone older.

Don't worry about perfect tones on day one. Context helps a lot. A clear, friendly attempt usually lands better than silence.

Regional differences to know

Vietnamese is spoken differently across the country, and some everyday words change.

"Expensive" is đắt in the North and often mắc in the South.
"Turn left/right" is rẽ trái/rẽ phải in the North and quẹo trái/quẹo phải in the South.
The letter d sounds like "z" in Hanoi and like "y" in Saigon.

You will be understood either way, but noticing these differences helps your listening.

How should you practice?

Pick five phrases a day rather than all 30 at once. Say each one out loud several times, then use it in a pretend situation: order an imaginary coffee, ask the price of something on your desk, thank the next person you talk to in your head. For more on where these fit on a trip, read common Vietnamese phrases for a first trip, and for warmth and tone, see a beginner's guide to sounding friendly.

Start with "Chào anh," "Cảm ơn" and "Xin lỗi," because those three will carry you through more moments than any others.