"Mười điểm": how to say "ten out of ten" in Vietnamese
By jimwest405.com"Mười điểm" means "ten points" in Vietnamese, and people use it the way English speakers say "ten out of ten" or "perfect score". It works for exam grades, but in casual speech it's also a playful way to rate food, an outfit, a joke or a great move.
The phrase is easy to say, easy to remember and very satisfying to use.
What does each word mean?
- mười: ten
- điểm: point, score, mark (also "point" as in a location or an idea)
So "mười điểm" is literally "ten points". You don't need to say "out of ten", because ten is understood as the top score.
Why ten?
Vietnamese schools commonly grade on a scale of 0 to 10, so a ten is the best mark a student can get. That makes "mười điểm" instantly meaningful to anyone who went to school in Vietnam. It's similar to how Americans talk about "getting an A" or "an A-plus".
How do you pronounce it?
- mười: falling tone (huyền). Roughly "muh-ee" sliding down, with the "ươ" vowel made with unrounded lips. A rough guide is "MUH-ee".
- điểm: hỏi tone, dipping then rising. Roughly "dee-um", with the voice dipping and lifting at the end. The "đ" is like English "d".
Together: "MUH-ee DEE-um". Keep the first word low and the second word bending up.
Numbers that go with "điểm"
If you want to rate something below perfect, swap in another number:
- một điểm: one point
- năm điểm: five points
- tám điểm: eight points
- chín điểm: nine points
- không điểm: zero points
You might also hear điểm 10 written with the numeral, especially online and in school contexts.
Note that "mười" changes to mươi (level tone) in numbers like "hai mươi" (twenty). On its own, "ten" is always "mười".
How people use "mười điểm" casually
Outside school, "mười điểm" is mostly a compliment or a joke:
- Rating food: Món này mười điểm! "This dish is a ten!"
- Praising a look: Bộ đồ này mười điểm. "This outfit is a ten."
- Approving a plan: Ý tưởng mười điểm! "Ten-point idea!"
- Playful judging: friends holding up imaginary scorecards after a dance or a stunt.
Online, you may also see phrases like "mười điểm không có nhưng", roughly "ten points, no buts", used to mean something is flawless. Usage of these internet phrases varies and changes over time, so treat them as casual slang.
A deadpan judge in a cartoon
In Duma Meow, my Vietnamese cartoon about four cats, one of the skit lines is "Mười điểm." ("Ten points."), said flatly, like a judge who has seen everything. A deadpan "ten points" after something ridiculous is a classic comedy beat, because the calm delivery clashes with the chaos on screen. The series is on the Voiceover with jimwest405 channel.
Other ways to say "perfect" or "excellent"
- Tuyệt vời: wonderful, excellent (standard and polite)
- Hoàn hảo: perfect (a bit more formal)
- Xuất sắc: outstanding, excellent (also a school grade label)
- Đỉnh quá: awesome, top-tier (slangy; see đỉnh quá and đỉnh của chóp)
- Quá đã: so satisfying (casual)
"Mười điểm" sits between these: more playful than "tuyệt vời", less slangy than "đỉnh của chóp".
Is it polite to rate people with points?
Rating food or a performance is fine and friendly. Rating someone's appearance with numbers can come across as rude in Vietnamese just as it can in English, so save it for close friends who are clearly joking with you. Complimenting an outfit ("bộ đồ này mười điểm") is usually received better than scoring a person.
Example sentences
- Bài kiểm tra được mười điểm! "Got a ten on the test!"
- Cú sút này mười điểm. "That shot is a ten." (sports)
- Chín điểm thôi, vì hơi mặn. "Only nine points, because it's a bit salty."
That last one is a nice model for gentle, playful feedback.
Practice it
Next time something impresses you, rate it out loud: "mười điểm!" It's a quick way to bring a Vietnamese word into daily life. For more short, fun lines, see haizz and what "ham chơi" means.
Keep "mười" low and falling, and your ten-out-of-ten will sound like a native speaker's.