Lessons · Level 0
0-6. Greetings and forms of address — first meetings
Chào hỏi & xưng hô
🎯 Goal Greet people with the right form of address for their age and introduce yourself · about 30 min
Vietnamese has no fixed 'you' and 'I'
In Vietnamese, 'you' and 'I' are family terms chosen by the other person's age and gender.
- A man older than you → anh (older brother); you are em
- A woman older than you → chị (older sister); you are em
- Someone younger than you → em; you are anh (male) / chị (female)
- About your parents' age → chú (uncle) / cô (aunt); you are con or cháu
If you don't know their age, anh / chị is the safest choice.
Forms of address
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| anh | older male / you | an |
| chị | older female / you | chee |
| em | younger person / you | em |
| chú | uncle (older man) | choo |
| cô | aunt (older woman) / female teacher | koh |
| bạn | friend / you (peer) | bang |
| tôi | I (neutral, formal) | toy |
Basic greetings
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Xin chào. | Hello. | sin chao. |
| Chào anh. | Hello (to an older man). | chao an. |
| Cảm ơn. | Thank you. | kam uhng. |
| Cám ơn chị nhiều. | Thank you very much. In the South, people often say cám ơn | kam uhng chee nyee-oo. |
| Không có chi. | You're welcome. | khohng kaw chee. |
| Xin lỗi. | Sorry. / Excuse me. | sin loy. |
| Không sao. | No problem. | khohng sao. |
| Tạm biệt. | Goodbye. | tam bee-uhk. |
| Hẹn gặp lại. | See you again. | heng gap lai. |
Introducing yourself
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Anh tên gì? | What's your name? | an ten yee? |
| Em tên là Min-su. | My name is Minsu. | em ten la min-soo. |
| Em là người Mỹ. | I'm American. Swap in your country: Mỹ (USA), Anh (UK), Úc (Australia), Canada, Ấn Độ (India), Singapore… | em la ngew-ee mee. |
| Rất vui được gặp anh. | Nice to meet you. | ruhk yooy dew-uhk gap an. |
| Em ở Quận 2. | I live in District 2. | em uh wuhng hai. |
Real conversation — meeting a neighbor in the apartment lobby
Minsu has just moved to Thảo Điền and meets his neighbor Linh in front of the elevator. Linh is older than Minsu.
| Minsu | Chào chị. | Hello. |
| Linh | Chào em. | Hi. |
| Minsu | Em tên là Min-su. Em là người Mỹ. | My name is Minsu. I'm American. |
| Linh | Chị tên là Linh. Rất vui được gặp em. | I'm Linh. Nice to meet you. |
| Minsu | Dạ, em cũng vậy. | Yes, me too. |
| Linh | Em mới chuyển tới đây hả? | Did you just move here? |
| Minsu | Dạ, em mới chuyển tới tuần trước. | Yes, I moved in last week. |
| Linh | Chào mừng em! Có gì cần thì hỏi chị nha. | Welcome! Ask me if you need anything. |
| Minsu | Dạ, cảm ơn chị. Hẹn gặp lại chị. | Thank you. See you again. |
Southern speech tips
- Starting your reply with Dạ ('ya') sounds very polite. Always use it with older people, shop owners and your landlord.
- nha ('nya') at the end of a sentence is a Southern softener — a bit like adding 'okay?'.
- hả? ('ha?') makes a light, casual question, like '…right?'.
Watch your forms of address
- Calling an older person bạn or em sounds rude. When in doubt, use anh / chị.
- If restaurant staff look younger than you, calling em ơi! ('em uhy') is natural. Don't clap or beckon with your finger.
- When Vietnamese people ask your age on first meeting, it's to decide how to address you. It's not rude.