"Ê!": how to get someone's attention in Vietnamese

Ê! is the casual Vietnamese way to say "Hey!" to get someone's attention. It's fine with close friends and people younger than you, but it can sound rude to elders, strangers or anyone you should show respect to. For them, use a title plus ơi, like "Anh ơi!" or "Chị ơi!"

How do you pronounce ê?

It's a single vowel, close to the "e" in "hey" without the "y" at the end: "eh," with a level tone. Shout it short and sharp for "Hey!", or draw it out ("Êêê...") for a teasing "Heyyy..."

When is ê okay?

Ê is informal and direct. It works:

• Among close friends: "Ê, đi ăn không?" — Hey, want to go eat?
• With younger siblings or cousins: "Ê, lại đây!" — Hey, come here!
• To start a casual comment: "Ê, mày thấy cái này chưa?" — Hey, have you seen this? (mày is very casual; only with close friends)
• When teasing: "Ê ê ê..." — a playful "hey, hey, hey" when someone's being caught out

Think of it like "Yo!" or "Hey!" in English: totally normal between friends, odd if you use it on your grandmother.

When is ê rude?

Avoid ê with:

• Elders, including parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles
• Strangers, such as shopkeepers, servers or someone on the street
• Teachers, bosses and customers
• Anyone older than you whom you don't know well

Using ê in these situations can come across as disrespectful, a bit like snapping your fingers at someone.

Polite ways to get someone's attention

Vietnamese uses a family-style title plus ơi, a vocative word that means something like "hey there" or "excuse me":

• Anh ơi! — to a man somewhat older than you, or a male server
• Chị ơi! — to a woman somewhat older than you, or a female server
• Em ơi! — to someone younger, including younger staff in a restaurant
• Bác ơi! / Cô ơi! / Chú ơi! — to older adults

You can add xin lỗi ("excuse me/sorry") for extra politeness: "Xin lỗi anh, cho em hỏi..." — "Excuse me, may I ask..." See how to say sorry in Vietnamese for more on xin lỗi.

In a restaurant, "Em ơi!" is a common way to call a younger server, and it's polite in that context. Ê wouldn't be.

Ê as a reaction

Ê isn't only for calling. It also works as a quick reaction when something catches your attention or seems wrong:

• Ê, khoan đã! — Hey, wait a minute!
• Ê, sao vậy? — Hey, what's going on?
• Ê! Đồ giả! — Hey! Fake!

That last one is a line from Duma Meow. One cat calls another out with "Ê! Đồ giả!", and gets "Mày mới là đồ giả!" ("YOU'RE the fake!") right back. The ê is what makes it sound like a sudden accusation between equals rather than a formal complaint. If you want the full story of that exchange, read đồ giả: how to call something fake in Vietnamese.

Ê vs other attention words

• Ê: casual, direct, between equals or to younger people
• Này: "Hey" or "Look here"; also casual, sometimes a bit firmer ("Này, nghe nè!" — "Hey, listen!")
• Ơi: added after a name or title to call someone politely ("Lan ơi!", "Mẹ ơi!")
• Xin lỗi: "Excuse me," the safe choice with strangers

When in doubt, use the person's title plus ơi. It's never wrong.

Don't mix it up with Ê the letter

In the Vietnamese alphabet, ê is also its own letter, different from plain e. Plain e is more open, like the "e" in "bed," while ê is closer, like the "a" in "late" without the glide. Mixing them up can change a word's meaning. If you're working on the alphabet, how to read Vietnamese letters covers the differences.

Quick practice

1. To a close friend: "Ê, đi cà phê không?" — Hey, want to get coffee?
2. To an older woman at a market: "Chị ơi, cái này bao nhiêu?" — Excuse me, how much is this?
3. To a younger server: "Em ơi, cho anh ly nước." — Could I get a glass of water? (said by a man)

Use ê with friends, and switch to "anh ơi" or "chị ơi" the moment you're talking to someone you don't know.