vietnam travel phrases Vietnam is a beautiful country with a rich culture, history and cuisine. If you are planning to visit Vietnam, you might want to learn some basic phrases to communicate with the locals and make your trip more enjoyable. In this blog post, we will introduce you to some common Vietnam travel phrases that you can use in different situations, such as greeting, asking for directions, ordering food, shopping and more. We will also provide some tips on how to pronounce them and how to use them politely.
Greeting Phrases vietnam travel phrases
One of the first things you need to know when traveling to Vietnam is how to greet people. Vietnamese people are very friendly and hospitable, and they will appreciate your effort to speak their language. Here are some common greeting phrases that you can use: vietnam travel phrases
- Xin chào (sin chow): This is the most common way to say hello in Vietnamese. You can use it with anyone, regardless of their age or gender. It is pronounced like “sin chow”.
- Chào anh (chow ang) / Chào chị (chow chee): These are more respectful ways to say hello to a man or a woman who is older than you or in a higher position. Anh means brother and chị means sister, but they are also used as honorifics. They are pronounced like “chow ang” and “chow chee”. vietnam travel phrases
- Chào em (chow em) / Chào bạn (chow ban): These are more casual ways to say hello to a man or a woman who is younger than you or in the same position. Em means younger sibling and bạn means friend, but they are also used as terms of endearment. They are pronounced like “chow em” and “chow ban”.
- Chào ông (chow awng) / Chào bà (chow bah): These are respectful ways to say hello to an elderly man or woman. Ông means grandfather and bà means grandmother, but they are also used as honorifics. They are pronounced like “chow awng” and “chow bah”.
How to respond to a greeting
When someone greets you in Vietnamese, you can simply reply with the same phrase or with cảm ơn (gahm uhn), which means thank you. It is pronounced like “gahm uhn”.
Asking for Directions vietnam travel phrases
Another useful skill to have when traveling to Vietnam is how to ask for directions. Vietnam is a big country with many cities, towns and villages, and you might need some help to find your way around. Here are some common phrases that you can use to ask for directions: vietnam travel phrases
- Làm ơn cho tôi hỏi (lam uhn chaw toy huy): This is a polite way to start your question. It means please let me ask or excuse me. It is pronounced like “lam uhn chaw toy huy”. vietnam travel phrases
- Đi đâu (dee dow): This means where to go or where are you going. You can use it to ask for the destination or the direction of a place. It is pronounced like “dee dow”.
- Ở đâu (uh dow): This means where is or where are. You can use it to ask for the location of a place. It is pronounced like “uh dow”. vietnam travel phrases
- Cách đây bao xa (gahk day bow sah): This means how far is it from here. You can use it to ask for the distance of a place. It is pronounced like “gahk day bow sah”.
- Làm sao để đến (lam sao deh den): This means how to get to or how do I go to. You can use it to ask for the route or the transportation of a place. It is pronounced like “lam sao deh den”. vietnam travel phrases
Some examples of asking for directionsvietnam travel phrases
Here are some examples of how you can use these phrases to ask for directions in Vietnamese: vietnam travel phrases
- Làm ơn cho tôi hỏi, đi đâu để đến bến xe buýt? (lam uhn chaw toy huy, dee dow deh den ben seh bwit): Excuse me, where do I go to get to the bus station?
- Làm ơn cho tôi hỏi, ở đâu có nhà hàng gần đây? (lam uhn chaw toy huy, uh dow gaw nyah hang gahn day): Excuse me, where is there a restaurant nearby?
- Làm ơn cho tôi hỏi, cách đây bao xa đến cầu Long Biên? (lam uhn chaw toy huy, gahk day bow sah den gow long bee-en): Excuse me, how far is it from here to Long Bien bridge?
- Làm ơn cho tôi hỏi, làm sao để đến sân bay Nội Bài? (lam uhn chaw toy huy, lam sao deh den san bay noy bye): Excuse me, how do I get to Noi Bai airport?
How to understand the directions
When someone gives you directions in Vietnamese, you might hear some of these words or phrases:
- Bên trái (ben try): This means on the left or to the left. It is pronounced like “ben try”.
- Bên phải (ben fai): This means on the right or to the right. It is pronounced like “ben fai”.
- Đi thẳng (dee tang): This means go straight or straight ahead. It is pronounced like “dee tang”.
- Rẽ trái (reh try): This means turn left or make a left. It is pronounced like “reh try”. vietnam travel phrases
- Rẽ phải (reh fai): This means turn right or make a right. It is pronounced like “reh fai”.
- Ở ngã tư (uh ngah too): This means at the intersection or at the crossroads. It is pronounced like “uh ngah too”.
- Ở ngã ba (uh ngah bah): This means at the fork or at the junction. It is pronounced like “uh ngah bah”.
- Ở đèn xanh (uh den sang): This means at the green light or at the traffic light. It is pronounced like “uh den sang”.
- Ở đèn đỏ (uh den doh): This means at the red light or at the stop light. It is pronounced like “uh den doh”.
- Ở cầu (uh gow): This means at the bridge or on the bridge. It is pronounced like “uh gow”. vietnam travel phrases
- Ở bến (uh ben): This means at the station or at the terminal. It is pronounced like “uh ben”.
- Ở sân bay (uh san bay): This means at the airport or on the airport. It is pronounced like “uh san bay”.
- Ở khách sạn (uh kahk san): This means at the hotel or on the hotel. It is pronounced like “uh kahk san”.
Some examples of understanding the directions
Here are some examples of how you can understand the directions in Vietnamese:
- Đi thẳng, rẽ trái ở ngã tư, bên phải có bến xe buýt. (dee tang, reh try uh ngah too, ben fai gaw ben seh bwit): Go straight, turn left at the intersection, on the right there is a bus station.
- Đi thẳng, rẽ phải ở đèn xanh, bên trái có nhà hàng. (dee tang, reh fai uh den sang, ben try gaw nyah hang): Go straight, turn right at the green light, on the left there is a restaurant. vietnam travel phrases
- Đi thẳng, ở cầu Long Biên rẽ trái, cách đây 2 km có sân bay Nội Bài. (dee tang, uh gow long bee-en reh try, gahk day hai kilo-met gaw san bay noy bye): Go straight, at Long Bien bridge turn left, 2 km from here there is Noi Bai airport.
- Đi thẳng, ở ngã ba rẽ phải, bên phải có khách sạn. (dee tang, uh ngah bah reh fai, ben fai gaw kahk san): Go straight, at the fork turn right, on the right there is a hotel.
Ordering Food
One of the best things about traveling to Vietnam is trying the delicious food. Vietnam has a diverse and rich cuisine that reflects its history and culture. You can find a variety of dishes, from noodles and rice to seafood and meat, from street food to fine dining, from north to south. Here are some common phrases that you can use to order food in Vietnam: vietnam travel phrases
- Tôi muốn (toy moo-un): This means I want or I would like. You can use it to express your preference or request. It is pronounced like “toy moo-un”.
- Cho tôi (chaw toy): This means give me or for me. You can use it to order something or ask for something. It is pronounced like “chaw toy”.
- Một (mote): This means one or a. You can use it to indicate the quantity or the number of something. It is pronounced like “mote”.
- Hai (high): This means two. You can use it to indicate the quantity or the number of something. It is pronounced like “high”.
- Ba (bah): This means three. You can use it to indicate the quantity or the number of something. It is pronounced like “bah”. vietnam travel phrases
- Bốn (bone): This means four. You can use it to indicate the quantity or the number of something. It is pronounced like “bone”.
- Năm (nam): This means five. You can use it to indicate the quantity or the number of something. It is pronounced like “nam”.
- Sáu (sow): This means six. You can use it to indicate the quantity or the number of something. It is pronounced like “sow”.
- Bảy (bye): This means seven. You can use it to indicate the quantity or the number of something. It is pronounced like “bye”.
- Tám (tahm): This means eight. You can use it to indicate the quantity or the number of something. It is pronounced like “tahm”.
- Chín (cheen): This means nine. You can use it to indicate the quantity or the number of something. It is pronounced like “cheen”.
- Mười (moo-ee): This means ten. You can use it to indicate the quantity or the number of something. It is pronounced like “moo-ee”.
Some examples of ordering food vietnam travel phrases
Here are some examples of how you can use these phrases to order food in Vietnamese:
- Tôi muốn một phở bò. (toy moo-un mote fuh boh): I want a beef noodle soup.
- Cho tôi hai bánh mì thịt. (chaw toy high banh mee teet): Give me two breads with meat.
- Tôi muốn ba bia. (toy moo-un bah bee-ah): I want three beers.
- Cho tôi bốn gỏi cuốn. (chaw toy bone goy koon): Give me four spring rolls.
- Tôi muốn năm bát cơm. (toy moo-un nam baht gom): I want five bowls of rice.
- Cho tôi sáu miếng gà rán. (chaw toy sow meeng gah rahn): Give me six pieces of fried chicken.
- Tôi muốn bảy ly trà đá. (toy moo-un bye lee trah dah): I want seven glasses of iced tea.
- Cho tôi tám quả cam. (chaw toy tahm kwa gahm): Give me eight oranges.
- Tôi muốn chín cái bánh xèo. (toy moo-un cheen guy banh say-oh): I want nine pancakes.
- Cho tôi mười đĩa chả giò. (chaw toy moo-ee dee-ah chah yoh): Give me ten plates of fried spring rolls.
How to ask for the bill vietnam travel phrases
When you finish your meal and want to pay, you can use this phrase to ask for the bill: vietnam travel phrases
- Tính tiền (tin teen): This means calculate money or check please. You can use it to signal that you are ready to pay. It is pronounced like “tin teen”.
How to tip
Tipping is not very common in Vietnam, but it is appreciated by the service staff. You can tip if you are satisfied with the service or the food, or if you want to show your gratitude. The amount of tip depends on your budget and the quality of the service, but usually it is around 5% to 10% of the bill. You can leave the tip on the table or hand it to the waiter or waitress.
Shopping Phrases vietnam travel phrases
Shopping is another fun activity that you can do in Vietnam. You can find a lot of things to buy, from souvenirs and handicrafts to clothes and electronics, from markets and street vendors to malls and shops. Here are some common phrases that you can use to shop in Vietnam: vietnam travel phrases
- Bao nhiêu tiền? (bow nee-uh teen): This means how much money or how much is it. You can use it to ask for the price of something. It is pronounced like “bow nee-uh teen”.
- Mắc quá (mahk kwah): This means too expensive or very expensive. You can use it to express your dissatisfaction with the price or to start bargaining. It is pronounced like “mahk kwah”.
- Rẻ quá (reh kwah): This means too cheap or very cheap. You can use it to express your surprise or satisfaction with the price or to compliment the seller. It is pronounced like “reh kwah”.
- Giảm giá (zahm zah): This means reduce price or discount. You can use it to ask for a lower price or to negotiate. It is pronounced like “zahm zah”.
- Đồng ý (dohng ee): This means agree or OK. You can use it to accept the price or to confirm the deal. It is pronounced like “dohng ee”.
- Không đồng ý (khom dohng ee): This means disagree or no. You can use it to reject the price or to decline the deal. It is pronounced like “khom dohng ee”.
Some examples of shopping vietnam travel phrases
Here are some examples of how you can use these phrases to shop in Vietnam: vietnam travel phrases
- Bao nhiêu tiền cái áo này? (bow nee-uh teen guy ow nay): How much is this shirt?
- Một trăm nghìn đồng. (mote trahm ngin dohng): One hundred thousand dong.
- Mắc quá, giảm giá đi. (mahk kwah, zahm zah dee): Too expensive, lower the price.
- Không thể giảm giá, cái áo này chất lượng tốt. (khom teh zahm zah, guy ow nay chat loo-ong tote): Cannot lower the price, this shirt is good quality.
- Vậy cho tôi hai cái áo, rẻ quá. (vay chaw toy high guy ow, reh kwah): Then give me two shirts, very cheap.
- Đồng ý, cảm ơn bạn. (dohng ee, gahm uhn ban): OK, thank you.
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Conclusion
We hope that this blog post has helped you learn some common Vietnam travel phrases that you can use in different situations. Learning some basic Vietnamese can make your trip more fun and memorable, as you can interact with the locals and experience their culture more deeply. Of course, this is not a comprehensive guide, and there are many more phrases and words that you can learn. If you want to learn more Vietnamese, you can check out some online resources or take some classes. We wish you a wonderful trip to Vietnam and a happy learning journey! vietnam travel phrases
