Beginner
Vietnamese Greetings & Basic Phrases
Introduction
Learning greetings is the first step to speaking Vietnamese! Vietnamese greetings often depend on the person's age and relationship to you. This lesson covers essential greetings and basic phrases you'll use every day.
Common Greetings
Saying Hello
Xin chào
[sin chow]
Hello (formal, universal)
Chào anh
[chow ang]
Hello (to older male)
Chào chị
[chow chee]
Hello (to older female)
Chào em
[chow em]
Hello (to younger person)
Basic Courtesy Phrases
Politeness Expressions
Cảm ơn
[gahm uhn]
Thank you
Cảm ơn nhiều
[gahm uhn nyew]
Thank you very much
Xin lỗi
[sin loy]
Sorry / Excuse me
Không sao
[khome sow]
It's okay / No problem
Yes, No, and Questions
Basic Responses
Vâng / Dạ
[vung / yah]
Yes (formal)
Không
[khome]
No
Anh có khỏe không?
[ang go kweh khome]
How are you? (to male)
Tôi khỏe, cảm ơn
[toy kweh, gahm uhn]
I'm fine, thank you
Saying Goodbye
Farewells
Tạm biệt
[tam bee-et]
Goodbye (formal)
Hẹn gặp lại
[hen gup lie]
See you again
Chúc ngủ ngon
[chook ngoo ngon]
Good night
Practice Tips
Personal Pronouns Matter: Vietnamese uses different pronouns based on age and relationship. "Anh" (older brother) and "chị" (older sister) are used for people slightly older than you.
Start Simple: "Xin chào" is safe to use with anyone when you're not sure which pronoun to use.
Listen to the Tones: Pay attention to how the tones change the meaning. Practice with the audio buttons above!