Lessons · Level 1
1-7. Grab 1 — booking a bike or car
Đặt xe Grab
🎯 Goal Book a Grab, talk to the driver on the phone to meet up, and get off where you want · about 35 min
Grab: how Ho Chi Minh City gets around
In Ho Chi Minh City, the most common way to get a motorbike or car is the Grab app. The price is set in advance, so there's no haggling.
- GrabBike — you ride on the back of a motorbike. Cheap and fast, but you're exposed to rain and heat.
- GrabCar — a car (4 or 7 seats). For lots of luggage or rainy days.
How to use it: install the app → sign up with your phone number → enter Điểm đến (destination) → check Điểm đón (pickup point) → choose payment → Đặt xe (book).
Once a driver is assigned, you'll get a call or in-app chat. Answer with the sentences in this lesson. App wording may change slightly with updates.
App screen words
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Đặt xe | book a ride The booking button | dak seh |
| Điểm đón | pickup point | dee-uhm dawng |
| Điểm đến | destination | dee-uhm den |
| tài xế | driver | tai say |
| xe máy | motorbike | seh mai |
| ô tô | car | oh toh |
| biển số xe | license plate | bee-uhng soh seh |
| mũ bảo hiểm | helmet GrabBike drivers give you a passenger helmet | moo bao hee-uhm |
| tiền mặt | cash | tee-uhng mak |
| thẻ | card | teh |
| hủy chuyến | cancel the ride | wee chwee-uhng |
Calls and messages with the driver
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Alo, anh ơi. | Hello? (on the phone) | ah-loh, an uhy. |
| Anh tới đâu rồi? | Where are you now? South: tới / North: đến | an tuhy duh-oo roy? |
| Anh đến chưa? | Have you arrived yet? | an den chew-uh? |
| Em đứng trước cổng chung cư. | I'm standing in front of the apartment gate. | em dewng chew-uhk kohng choong kew. |
| Em mặc áo màu trắng. | I'm wearing a white shirt. | em mak ao mao chang. |
| Anh chờ em một chút nha. | Please wait a moment. | an chuh em mohk chook nya. |
| Em ra liền. | I'm coming right out. liền = right away (Southern) | em ra lee-uhng. |
| Biển số xe bao nhiêu anh? | What's your plate number? | bee-uhng soh seh bao nyee-oo an? |
| Anh có mũ bảo hiểm không? | Do you have a helmet? | an kaw moo bao hee-uhm khohng? |
| Anh đi chậm thôi. | Please go slowly. | an dee chuhm toy. |
| Cho em xuống ở đây. | Drop me off here. | chaw em soo-uhng uh duhy. |
| Em trả tiền mặt nha. | I'll pay in cash. | em cha tee-uhng mak nya. |
Real conversation — catching a GrabBike outside the apartment
Jieun, who lives in an apartment in District 2, wants to take a GrabBike to Thảo Điền. After booking, the driver calls her.
| Driver | Alo, chị đặt Grab phải không? | Hello, did you book a Grab? |
| Jieun | Dạ đúng rồi. Anh tới đâu rồi? | Yes, that's right. Where are you now? |
| Driver | Anh tới cổng chung cư rồi. Chị ở đâu? | I'm at the apartment gate. Where are you? |
| Jieun | Em đứng trước siêu thị, em mặc áo màu xanh. | I'm in front of the supermarket, wearing a blue shirt. |
| Driver | Ok, anh thấy rồi. | OK, I see you. |
| Jieun | Anh cho em mượn mũ bảo hiểm nha. | Please lend me a helmet. |
| Driver | Đây nè. Chị đi Thảo Điền hả? | Here you go. Going to Thao Dien? |
| Jieun | Dạ. Anh chạy chậm chậm giùm em nha. | Yes. Please drive slowly for me. |
| Driver | Ừ, yên tâm. | Sure, don't worry. |
| Jieun | Cho em xuống ở đây được rồi. | You can drop me off here. |
| Driver | Năm mươi ngàn nha chị. | That's fifty thousand dong. |
| Jieun | Dạ, gửi anh. Cảm ơn anh. | Here you are. Thank you. |
How to meet your driver easily
- Move the Điểm đón pin on the map to exactly where you're standing. Big apartment complexes have several gates, so it's easy to miss each other.
- If calls are hard, send a short sentence + photo in the app chat. e.g. Em đứng trước cổng chung cư.
- Drivers often call passengers anh / chị and refer to themselves as anh. Calling yourself em sounds natural.
- If paying cash, have small notes ready. Drivers sometimes don't have change for big ones.
Safety tips for riding Grab
- Before getting on, check that the license plate (biển số xe) and driver's photo match the app. If they don't, don't get on.
- If the driver asks for more than the app price, show the app price and say no. You can report problems to customer support in the app.
- On GrabBike, always wear the helmet (it's required by law). Fasten the chin strap too.
- Holding your phone in your hand on the back of a motorbike makes you a target for snatch thieves. Wear your bag in front.
- People who approach you at airports or tourist spots saying 'Grab?' may not be app drivers. Only ride with the driver assigned in the app.