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Learn Vietnamese

Although in popular tourist destinations and larger cities it is just about possible to get by without knowing a word of Vietnamese, insisting on speaking your own language all the time will isolate you from the majority of Vietnamese people and leave you less likely to make friends and relationships you will remember from your travels. By learning to speak just a few words of Vietnamese you can greatly improve your experience, reduce misunderstandings and frustrations and have a chance to talk - however briefly - with individuals who work outside of the tourist service industry, giving you a far greater appreciation of the Vietnamese culture and outlook on life. We think any responsible traveller should at a minimum learn how to meet and greet people and how to be polite, but taking the time to learn a few more phrases will certainly enhance your enjoyment - even if it just means you are able to recognise a few more items on that otherwise baffling Vietnamese menu. Use our free online phrasebook to sharpen your skills and prepare for your trip - or download it as a PDF to put on your Kindle, mobile, iPhone, iPod touch or other ebook reader. The original copy of this guide can be found at http://www.vietnamtravel.org/learn-vietnamese

Basic Vietnamese Phrases

Simplest Phrases At the very minimum it is important to at least know how to say 'Hello' and 'Thank you' - it takes moments to learn yet can make a big impression, as you will already know more than 90% of travellers arriving in Vietnam Hello Goodbye Thank You Xin cho Tm bit Cm n

I am sorry No problem.

Xin li Khng sao

Addressing people For Vietnamese people it is important to use the correct form of address than signifies your age and relationship to the person you are speaking to. In general, when talking to someone younger than you you may call them 'Em', or if you think you are

younger than them you may call yourself 'Em' and use a range of pronouns based on the other person's gender and age. As a traveller however it is acceptable to 'cheat' and use a generic 'Ti' for 'I' and 'Ban' for 'Friend', rather than finding the correct form of address - this is not disrespectful and will help you make yourself understood. I, me I am You She, her He, him They, them We, us It Ti Ti l Bn C y Anh y H Chng ta N

Basic Vocabulary You may find some of the following vocabulary useful for forming simple sentences:

Like Want Eat Drink Like to eat I like to eat What What do you like to eat? I'm hungry I'm thirsty

Thch Mun n Ung Thch n Ti thch n Ci g Bn thch n ci g? Ti i (bng) Ti kht nc

I am sorry No problem. What is this? Where is the nearest internet shop? Where is the post office?

Xin li Khng sao Ci ny l ci g? Gn y c internet khng? Bu in u?

Where is the ATM? Yesterday Today Tomorrow To go Bus Station I am going to the bus station

ATM u? Hm qua Hm nay Ngy mai i Xe But Ga Ti i ga xe but

Pronunciation, Tones + the Vietnamese Alphabet

Like the majority of South East and East Asian languages, Vietnam is a tonal language. This means that for each syllable there are six different tones that can change the meaning of a phrase. This can be unusual for Westerners since there are times we have a natural inclination to change the tone of our speech - the most common is raisinng the pitch of your voice when asking a question. Don't let it put you off though - once you have mastered the pronunciation, Vietnamese is a satisfyingly straightforward language, with a grammar system that is much easier than that of a language like French. Another great advantage learners of Vietnamese have over those studying other Asian languages is that the Vietnamese alphabet is essentially a modified version of the Roman alphabet, making it easy to read signs and addresses when travelling around.

Tones Description High rising Low falling Start in a low tone, go down, and gently back up (I tend to imagine a bored butler - 'Ye-es M'lud?' ) Start high, bring voice down, cut off and go back up* Diacritic Sample word M M M Meaning Mother That Tomb

Horse

Bring voice down and cut off abruptly (imagine a parent firmly saying 'No.') Mid range voice, go flat and level (No mark)

M Ma

Rice Shoots Ghost

* This tone is very strong in the North around Hanoi where there is a perceptible 'cut' in the sound. In the South around Saigon people tend to speak in a more 'smooth' manner, and many would say this tone becomes almost identical to the low, rising tone above it ('Ye-es, M'lud'') Vietnamese Alphabet Although the Vietnamese use the same alphabet as Latin languages such as English and French, some of the

sounds are fairly different to their English equivalent. There are a few similarities with French, however. Consonants

d g,gh gi kh nh ng, ngh ph r s t th tr v Vowels

Like 'z' as in zero Like 'd' in English as do Like 'g' in go Like 'y' in yes Like 'Karen' Like 'n' in Cognac Like Singer Like 'f' in forest Normal R in English Normal S in English As in Tan As in Thump As in Train As in Violet

One rule to pronouncing vowels in Vietnam that is very useful to remember is that whenever you get two vowels together - for example 'ui' - the first vowel should have much more emphasis than the second - 'ui'

a ai Ao au u ay y e eo

As in father like 'a' in "father", except said very quickly As a in black I Loud Ow As in go As in day As in David Like in America Like meow-cat's noise

 i Ia Ie o oa oai oay oe oi i i u ua u ui uy uya uyen y yeu

Like in caf Like in see Like in idia Like in yes Like in door Like in Oasis Like in Why Like in Uruguay Where Coin Joseph Like in toy Like in Burger i Like in Sue Like Ecuador fur Like in 'Question' Like oo-ee Like 'oui' in French As French 'Culture' when Like letter 'e' Like in few

Vietnamese Phrases: Eating + drinking

One of the most enjoyable aspects to travelling in Vietnam is discovering the delicious, fresh and unique cuisine on offer - but for the less adventurous a foreign menu can be very off putting. Make the most of your meals by brushing up on your food

vocabulary before you go, and avoid eating fried noodles in every restaurant along the journey! At the restaurant

Restaurant
Menu Food Drink (n) A pair of chopsticks I am a vegetarian Not too spicy No chilli please No fish sauce Can I have the bill please? Delicious I am full Medium Rare Well-done Without A little Sugar One more One more beer Meat Seafood Chicken Beef Pork (South / North) Fish Squid Prawns Crab Soft shell crab Fried / Deep Fried Stir fried Grilled

Nh Hng Thc n Thc n ung i a Ti n chay Khong rat cay Khong co ot Khong co nuoc mam Tnh tin Ngon qu Ti no ri Va Ti Chn Khng c t ng Thm mt Thm mt bia Th t Hi Sn G B (Thit) Heo / L n C Mc Tm Cua Cua lt Chin Xo Nng

Steamed Stewed With Fish sauce Stir fried chicken Grilled chicken Morning glory Water Ice Red wine White wine Can I have the menu please? Can I have chicken sate please Can I have a glass of red wine please? Drinks / Fruit Juices / Fruits Lemon Juice Orange Juice Coconut Juice Apple Juice Mango Juice Pashion Fruit Juice (green) Tea Iced Tea Black (Lipton) Tea Black Coffee (hot) Ice Black Coffee White Coffee Iced White Coffee Condensed Milk Fresh Milk Do you have fresh milk? Fruit Shake Vietnamese Desert Vegetables Aubergine / Eggplant C tm Nc Chanh Nc Cam Nc Da NcTo Nc Xoi

Hp Kho Vi Nc mm G xo G nng Rau mung Nc Ru Ru trng C thc n khng? Ti mun g sa t Ti mun mt ly ru

Nc Chanh Dy Tr Tr D Tr Lipton C Ph en (Nng) C Ph C Ph Sa (Nng) C Ph Sa Sa Sa Ti Bnc sa ti khng? Sinh T Ch

Tomato Mushrooms Onions Spring Onions Vegetables Morning Glory (water spinach) Coriander Sweet Basil Mint Garlic Chilli Spicy

C Chua Nm Hnh Hnh L Rau Rau Mung Ng Rau thm Bc H Ti t Cay

Vietnamese Phrases: Getting Around

Taxis + Motorbike Taxis Do you use the meter? I like to go the cinema, please Motorbike Driver Bicycle Rickshaw (Cyclo) Bus Station Train Station Airport How much is it to go from here to Russian Market? That's expensive, I pay 30,000 VND ? I'm in a hurry Please slow down! I don't want to die Directions Go straight Turn left Turn right Stop here please Next to, by i thng Quo tri Quo phi Dng li y Bn cnh Bn c chy theo ng hkhng? Ti mun i rp chiu phim Xe m Xch L Trm Xe But Ga Xe La Sn Bay i ch Nga bao nhiu tin? Mc qu, ti trba mi ngn? Ti ang vi i chm li! Ti khng mun cht!

Left hand side Right hand siide Vehicles Car Taxi Motorbike Motorbike Taxi Bicycle Bus Train Boat Aeroplane Xe Hi/ Xe t Taxi Xe My Xe m Xe p Xe But Tau / Xe La (old) Thuyn My Bay

Bn Tri Bn phi

Tickets Ticket One Way Return Ticket I would like a ticket to Nha Trang How much does a ticket to Hanoi cost? How far is it (Km) to Phan Thiet How long is the journey to Hoi An? That's a long time! That's quick! That's expensive! That's cheap! Is it faster to go by train? Is it cheaper to go by bus? Is the bus direct? Seat Reclining Seat / Soft Seat Bed V Mt Chiu KhHi Ti mun mua v i Nha Trang V i H Ni bao nhiu tin? i Phan Thit bao nhiu cy s? i Hi An bao lu? Lu Qu! Nhanh qu! Mac Qu! Re Qu! i tu c nhanh hn khng? i xe but c rhn khng? Xe but c i thng khng? Gh GhNm / GhMm Ging

Hiring vehicles For Hire I want to hire a motorbike Cho Thu Ti mun thu xe my

I want to hire a bicycle I want to hire a car with a driver .. To go to Dalat How much to hire it for an hour? .. For two days? How much to hire for a week? Do you have a helmet Issues Excuse me Help me My bicycle has a puncture My motorbike has broken down I've run out of petrol! Where can I buy more petrol? You're too drunk to drive

Ti mun thu xe p Ti mun thu xe hi vi ti x Ti mun thu xe hi vi ti xi Lt Thu mt gibao nhiu tin? Thu hai ngy bao nhiu tin? Thu mt tun bao nhiu tin? Bn c nn bo him khng?

Xin Li Gup ti vi Xe p ca ti bx lp Xe my ca ti bh Ti ht xng ri xng u? Bn qu xn li xe!

Vietnamese Phrases: Making Friends

When you meet someone it is natural to ask their name and where they are from, as these are great ice breakers. Please note though there are some differences between Vietnamese and Western cultures that may come as a surprise! Basic Greetings Hello Hi How are you? Fine. And you? I am happy I am sick I am tired What's your name? My name's John It's lovely to meet you Where are you from? I am from England France America Xin cho Cho Bn c khe khng? Khe. Cn bn th sao? Ti vui Ti bnh Ti mt Bn tn g? Ti tn l John Rt vui c gp bn. Bn tu n? Ti n tnc Anh. Php M

Australia Spain Canada Japan Korea China Goodbye See you later Goodnight

c Ty Ban Nha Canada Nht Hn Quc Trung Quc Tm bit Hn gp li Chc ng ngon

Age In Vietnam it is also perfectly normal and polite to ask someone's age, as for the Vietnamese to be polite it is very important to know someone's age know how to address someone correctly, so please don't be offended if someone asks your age and don't be afraid to ask somebody else's. If you feel a little put out by the question, just remember - in Vietnam the older and wiser you are the higher your status and the more respected you are - people are only asking so they can show you the appropriate level of respect and reverence. How much / how many How old are you? I am 23 years old He is 46 years old Bao Nhiu Em/Anh/Ch bao nhiu tui? Ti l hai mi ba tui Anh y l bn mi su tui

Money Likewise, despite the taboo nature of directly asking someone's salary in the West, in Vietnam it is a perfectly normal question and in no way impolite. If you do not wish to answer you may demur but please do not take offense should the question arise, as the person asking will have no idea it could make you feel uncomfortable. Family The family is held in very high regard in Vietnam, and so people will be delighted if you take an interest in theirs, and eager to know about your own family back at home. They will be even more delighted to meet them, and love to see families travelling together. Family Parents Mother Family Brother (older) Brother (younger) Sister (older) Sister (younger) Children Do you have any brothers or sisters? Yes, I have an older brother and younger sister. Gia nh Ba m M Gia nh Anh trai Em trai Ch gi Em gi Con Bn c anh ch em khng? Vng, ti c mt anh trai v mt em gi

Do you have any children? Yes, I have a little boy and two girls How many people are there in your family? Where do your parents live?

Bn c con khng? Vng, ti c 1 cu con trai nh v hai con gi. C bao nhiu ngi trong gia nh bn? Ba m n sng u?

Marriage & Relationships It is common for people in Vietnam to marry young, and highly unusual for couples to live together before marriage, so you may find when travelling people assume you are married or find it unusual if you are not - particularly if you are over twenty five. Boyfriend and girlfriend suggest a casual relationship so if you are with a long term unmarried partner you may find it easier to state you are married, particularly in more rural, traditional areas. Boyfriend Girlfriend This is my boyfriend Wife Husband Are you married yet? Yes, for three years already We are engaged When is your wedding? Next year We are on our honeymoon Bn trai Bn gi y l bn trai ca ti V Chng Bn kt hn cha? C, c ba nm ri Chung ti nh hn Khi no bn m ci? Nm Sau Chng ti ang hng tun trng mt

Vietnamese Phrases: Numbers, times + dates

Vietnamese numbers are quite easy to follow, as higher numbers use the same words as lower - for example, twenty five would be expressed as 'Two Ten Five', or 365 as 'Three Hundred Six Ten Five'. This means that once you have learnt to count from one to ten other numbers are pretty easy. There is one irregularity with numbers: since the word for 5 (Nam) is the same as for year(s) (Nam) it changes to 'Lam' avoid confusion, for example: 5 - Nm 20 years - Hai Mi Nm 25 - Hai Mi Lm 55 - Nm Mi Lm 55 years - Nm Mi Lm Nm

0 1 2

Khng Mt Hai

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 30 32 100 1,000 100,000 1,000,000 1 bn

Ba Bn Nm Su By Tm Chn Mi Mi mt Mi hai Mi ba Mi bn Mi lm Mi su Mi by Mi tm Mi chn Hai Mi Hai Mi Mt Ba Mi Ba Mi Hai Mt Trm Mt Nghn Mt Trm Nghn Mt Triu Mot T/ T

Money Since money in Vietnam is demarcated in thousands it is acceptable to skip the 'thousand dong' when negotiating prices, or to use slang. Do note though that 'Chuc' is used more in the south and may not be recognised in the north. 1$ 1 1,000 Dong 50,000 Dong 20, 000 / Twenty bucks (slang) 50,000 / 50 bucks (slang) Mt Mt bng Mt Nghn ng Nm Mi (Nghn ng) Hai Chc Nm Chc

Units of Time Minute Hour Day Week Month Year Pht Gi Ngy Tun Thng Nm

Days of the week Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday ThHai (Day 2) ThBa (Day 3) ThT (day 4) ThNm (day 5) ThSu (day 6) ThBy (day 7) ChNht (God's day)

Months of the year January February March ... November December Time of day Morning Afternoon Evening Night Lunch time Midday Midnight Rush hour Bui Sng Bui Chiu Bui Ti Ti/m Ba Tra Gia Tra Na m GiCao im Thng Mt(Month 1) Thng Hai (Month 2) Thng Ba (Month 3) ... Thng Mi Mt (Month 11) Thng Mi Hai (month 12)

Meals of the day Breakfast Lunch Dinner n Sng n Trua n Ti

Telling time and numbers What time is it? It's 1 o'clock. Now Now it is ten past three Today Tommorow Yesterday Next / Before Last / after Last week Next year Before five pm After 7 am After dinner Between ... And .. / From ... to Breakfast is between 7 and 9 am How long? How long have you been in Vietnam? Since February When When will you go home? Until I'm in Vietnam until March Already I've been in Vietnam 2 weeks already My gi ri? Mt gi ri By Gi By Gi l ba gimi pht Hm nay Ngymai Hm qua Trc Sau Tun Sau Nm trc Trc nm gichiu Sau by gisng Sau n ti T...n n sng tby gin 9 gi Bao Lu? Bn Vit Nam bao lu? TThng Hai Khi No? Khi no i vnh? n Ti Vit Nam n thng Ba Ri Ti Vit Nam hai tun ri.

Special occasions Birthday Today it is my birthday Tet (Lunar New Year) Western New Year Party Full Moon Festival / Mid Autumn Festival Full moon Sinh nht Hm nay l sinh nht ca ti Tt Tt Ty Tic Tt Trung Thu Trng Rm

Christmas Anniversary Wedding

Noel Lk nim m ci

Vietnamese Phrases: Shopping

Shopping A favourite activity for many travellers to Vietnam is shopping. With a huge range of unique crafts available Vietnam is a great place to find souvenirs, and thanks to cheap prices and very talented tailors it is also a popular place to have clothes made. By sprinkling some Vietnamese into your shopping not only will it be easier to get things you want but you may even get some better bargains too. Don't forget to take a look at our section on dates, numbers and money too. Where Where is Ben Thanh market? Where can I buy sun cream? How much is it? It is too expensive Do you have something cheaper? Can I pay by card? Can I pick it up later? Can you ship it overseas? Can I have a receipt please? Can I try it? It doesn't fit Do you have a bigger one? Do you have a smaller one? It's perfect u ChBn Thnh u? Ti c thmua kem chng nng u? Bao nhiu tin? Mc qu Bn c ci no rhn khng? Ti c thtrbng thtn dng khng? Ti c thly n sau c khng? Bn c gi hng ra nc ngoi khng? Ti mun ha n Ti c ththn c khng? N khng va Bn c ci ln hn khng? Bn c ci nhhn khng? Rt tt

Shops Market Night market Food market Pharmacy Clothes shop Computer shop Electronics shop Ch Chm Ch thc n Tim thuc ty Ca Hng qun o Ca Hng Vi Tnh Ca Hng In

Supermarket Bookstore Department store / Mall 24 hours

Siu Th Nh sch Khu mua sm Hai mi bn gi / Siu th mini

Clothing T-shirt Shirt Suit Trousers Jeans Shoes Sandals Dress Skirt Jacket Rain Coat Handbag Sunglasses Hat Helmet Jewellery Watch Ring Necklace Bracelet o thun o smi o vt Qun Qun Jean Giy Xang an o m Vy o khot o ma Gi King mt Nn (Min Hanoi) Nn bo him N Trang ng H Nhn Dy chuyn Vng tay, Lc tay