"Sẵn sàng": how to say "ready" in Vietnamese

Sẵn sàng (roughly "sun sahng") is the Vietnamese word for "ready." You use it to say you are prepared, to ask if someone else is, and to describe being willing to do something.

It is a standard, neutral word. You will hear it in classrooms, on the news, in sports and in everyday talk, so it is a safe one to learn early.

How do you pronounce sẵn sàng?

The word has two syllables, and each has its own tone.

• sẵn: the ngã tone, which rises with a little break or creak in the middle. Think "sun" said with a quick catch and a lift.
• sàng: the huyền tone, which starts low and falls gently. Think "sahng," relaxed and dropping.

The "s" sounds like an English "s" in most of the country, though some speakers soften it toward "sh." In Southern speech, the ngã tone on sẵn usually merges with the hỏi tone, so it can sound more like a dip than a creak. Both are understood everywhere.

How do you ask "are you ready?"

The most common pattern is to add chưa at the end. Chưa turns a statement into a "yet?" question.

• Sẵn sàng chưa? Ready yet? (casual, to a group or a friend)
• Anh sẵn sàng chưa? Are you ready? (to a man a bit older than you)
• Em sẵn sàng chưa? Are you ready? (to someone younger)
• Mọi người sẵn sàng chưa? Is everyone ready?

The pronoun at the front changes with who you are talking to. Vietnamese picks pronouns based on age and relationship, so "you" might be anh, chị, em, bạn and more. If you are unsure, bạn is a neutral choice for someone around your age.

How do you answer?

To say yes, you are ready, add rồi, which means "already" and signals that something is done.

• Sẵn sàng rồi! Ready!
• Tôi sẵn sàng rồi. I'm ready. (neutral, a bit formal)
• Dạ, em sẵn sàng rồi ạ. Yes, I'm ready. (polite, to someone older)

If you are not ready yet, say chưa on its own or chưa sẵn sàng (not ready yet). Pair it with Chờ chút! (Wait a sec!) and you have a complete, natural reply. There is a full guide to that phrase in chờ chút: how to say wait a moment.

Do people really say sẵn sàng in casual talk?

Yes, but not always. In relaxed speech, people often skip the word entirely and ask whether you are done instead.

• Xong chưa? Done yet? This is what many people say when they are waiting for you to finish getting ready.
• Xong rồi. Done. All set.
• Đi được chưa? Can we go yet?
• Chuẩn bị xong chưa? Finished preparing yet?

So sẵn sàng tends to show up when the readiness itself matters: before a game, a race, a performance, a test or a big moment. For "are you ready to leave the house," xong chưa is often more natural.

What about "ready, set, go"?

Vietnamese has a few countdown styles. A common one is Chuẩn bị... bắt đầu! (Get ready... begin!). Another is counting Một, hai, ba! (One, two, three!) and then shouting Bắt đầu! or Đi!

Bắt đầu is worth learning alongside sẵn sàng, because the two often appear back to back. See bắt đầu: how to say let's begin for more.

Sẵn sàng as "willing"

Sẵn sàng also stretches to mean "ready and willing." This is where it gets a little more expressive.

• Tôi sẵn sàng giúp. I'm ready to help, or I'm happy to help.
• Luôn sẵn sàng. Always ready.
• Sẵn sàng chiến đấu. Ready to fight. You will hear this in sports commentary and, jokingly, among friends before something hard.

That second one has a close cousin in my cartoon. In Duma Meow, Luna is the always-prepared cat, and her line is Lúc nào cũng sẵn sàng, "Always ready." Lúc nào cũng means "at any time, always," so the whole line says she is ready no matter when you ask.

Quick phrase list

Here are the patterns to keep handy:

• Sẵn sàng chưa? Ready yet?
• Sẵn sàng rồi! Ready!
• Chưa sẵn sàng. Not ready yet.
• Lúc nào cũng sẵn sàng. Always ready.
• Xong chưa? Done yet? (very common casual alternative)
• Chuẩn bị... bắt đầu! Get ready... begin!

A small tip on tone of voice

The words are neutral, but your delivery carries a lot. A bright, rising "Sẵn sàng chưa?" sounds playful and encouraging. A flat, slow one can sound impatient, like a parent at the front door. If you want to soften a question, add nhé in the North or nha in the South: Sẵn sàng nha? sounds friendly and light.

Practice it by asking "Sẵn sàng chưa?" before something small, like starting a game or a movie, and answering yourself with "Sẵn sàng rồi!"