Common Vietnamese phrases for a first trip to Vietnam

The most useful Vietnamese phrases for a first trip are the ones for ordering food, paying, giving directions to a driver and asking for help. Learn a greeting, "thank you," "how much?" and "stop here," and you will handle most daily moments.

This guide is organized by the situations a visitor actually meets, from the airport to the noodle stall. Pronunciation hints are rough, so listen to a native speaker where you can.

Greeting people politely

Vietnamese greetings usually include a word for the person you are talking to, chosen by age.

Chào anh (chow ahn): Hello, to a man older than you or around your age.
Chào chị (chow chee): Hello, to a woman older than you or around your age.
Chào em (chow em): Hello, to someone clearly younger, like a teenage server.
Xin chào (sin chow): A polite all-purpose hello if you are unsure.

Staff in shops and restaurants are often young, and many visitors call them "em." When in doubt, "anh" or "chị" is the safer and more polite guess. For more ways to greet people, see how to say hello in Vietnamese.

At a café or restaurant

Pointing at a menu and adding a phrase goes a long way.

Cho tôi cái này (chaw toy guy nay): I'll have this.
Cho tôi hai cái (chaw toy hi guy): Two of these, please.
Không cay (khohng kai): Not spicy.
Không đá (khohng dah): No ice.
Ít đường (it duh-uhng): Less sugar.
Không bỏ ngò (khohng baw ngaw): No cilantro. In the North, cilantro is often rau mùi.
Tính tiền (ting tee-en): The check, please.

If you have a food allergy, write it down in Vietnamese before your trip and show it to staff. A phrase on a card is more reliable than a spoken one when the stakes are real.

Shopping and markets

Many market stalls expect a little back and forth on price, while shops with printed price tags usually do not.

Bao nhiêu tiền? (bow nyew tee-en): How much?
Đắt quá (daht gwah): Too expensive. In the South, mắc quá.
Bớt được không? (buht duhk khohng): Can you lower it a bit?
Tôi chỉ xem thôi (toy chee sem toy): I'm just looking.
Cảm ơn, không cần (gahm uhn, khohng gun): Thanks, I don't need it.

A smile and a friendly tone matter more than perfect grammar. "Cảm ơn, không cần" said kindly is a perfectly good way to walk away.

Taxis and ride-hailing

Showing the address on your phone is the easiest approach, but these phrases help when plans change.

Đi thẳng (dee tahng): Go straight.
Rẽ trái / rẽ phải (zeh chai / zeh fai): Turn left / turn right. In the South: quẹo trái / quẹo phải.
Dừng ở đây (zung uh day): Stop here.
Chậm thôi (chum toy): Slow down, please.
Đến rồi (den zoy): We've arrived.

When you are stuck

These phrases buy you time and invite help.

Tôi không hiểu (toy khohng hyew): I don't understand.
Nói chậm lại được không? (noy chum lie duhk khohng): Could you speak slower?
Anh nói tiếng Anh được không? (ahn noy tee-eng ahn duhk khohng): Do you speak English? (to a man; use "chị" for a woman)
Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu? (nyah veh sing uh doh): Where is the restroom?
Xin lỗi (sin loy): Excuse me, or sorry.

In an emergency

Keep these in your notes, and save the local emergency numbers before you go. Vietnam uses 113 for police, 114 for fire and 115 for ambulance. Check your embassy's travel page for the latest guidance.

Cứu tôi với! (kew toy vuh-ee): Help me!
Gọi cấp cứu (goy gup kew): Call an ambulance.
Tôi bị lạc (toy bee lahk): I'm lost.

Saying thanks and goodbye

Cảm ơn (gahm uhn): Thank you. Cảm ơn nhiều is "thanks a lot."
Ngon quá! (ngawn gwah): Delicious! A lovely thing to say to a cook.
Tạm biệt (tahm bee-et): Goodbye.
Hẹn gặp lại (hen gap lie): See you again.

Northern and Southern differences

Vietnam's North and South differ in accent and some vocabulary. Hanoi speech pronounces the letter d like "z," while Saigon speech pronounces it like "y." Words like "expensive," "turn" and "cilantro" also change, as noted above. People from either region understand both, so do not let this stop you.

Tips that make the phrases work

Write down addresses and allergies. Text is clearer than tones for important details.
Use the person's pronoun. "Cảm ơn chị" sounds warmer than "cảm ơn" alone.
Practice the five you will use most: chào, cảm ơn, bao nhiêu tiền, tính tiền and dừng ở đây.

For a longer starter list, read basic Vietnamese phrases: the 30 you will actually use.

Before you fly, record yourself saying "Bao nhiêu tiền?" and "Dừng ở đây," then compare it to a native recording until the melody sounds close.