Lessons · Level 3
3-5. Utilities and Repair Requests — Electricity, Water, Breakdowns
Tiền điện nước & sửa chữa
🎯 Goal Know how to pay utility bills, and when something breaks, explain it to your landlord and set up a repair · about 35 min
Costs besides rent
When you rent, besides the rent (tiền nhà) you also pay for electricity (tiền điện), water (tiền nước), internet (internet/wifi) and, in an apartment, the management fee (phí quản lý). When signing, check what's included in the rent.
Electricity is billed in tiers (giá bậc thang): the more you use, the higher the price per kWh. In Ho Chi Minh City, where people use a lot of air conditioning, the bill can be higher than you expect.
Bills are usually paid by banking app, MoMo/ZaloPay or QR transfer. If the meter is in the landlord's name, you often transfer the money to the landlord.
When something breaks, the fastest way is to take photos or a video and send them to the landlord on Zalo. This lesson practices those sentences.
Utility words
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| tiền điện | electricity bill | tee-uhng dee-uhng |
| tiền nước | water bill | tee-uhng new-uhk |
| phí quản lý | management fee In the southern accent it sounds closer to 'fee wang lee' | fee wang lee |
| hóa đơn | bill, invoice | wa duhng |
| đồng hồ điện | electricity meter | dohng hoh dee-uhng |
| số điện | units of electricity (kWh) 'một số điện' = 1kWh | soh dee-uhng |
| giá bậc thang | tiered price | ya buhk tang |
| đóng tiền | to pay (a bill) | dawng tee-uhng |
| mất điện | power outage | muhk dee-uhng |
| mất nước | no water | muhk new-uhk |
Saying what's broken
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| máy lạnh | air conditioner North: điều hòa | mai lan |
| hư | broken North: hỏng | hew |
| không mát | not cooling | khohng mak |
| rò nước | water leak | raw new-uhk |
| nghẹt cống | clogged drain | ngek kohng |
| bóng đèn cháy | the bulb burned out | bawng deng chai |
| máy nước nóng | water heater | mai new-uhk nawng |
| thợ sửa | repairman | tuh sew-uh |
Contacting the landlord
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Tháng này tiền điện bao nhiêu vậy chị? | How much is the electricity bill this month? | tang nai tee-uhng dee-uhng bao nyee-oo yuhy chee? |
| Chị gửi hình hóa đơn cho em được không? | Can you send me a photo of the bill? | chee gew-ee hin wa duhng chaw em dew-uhk khohng? |
| Máy lạnh phòng ngủ bị hư rồi. | The bedroom air conditioner is broken. | mai lan fawng ngoo bee hew roy. |
| Máy lạnh chạy nhưng không mát. | The AC runs but it isn't cooling. | mai lan chai nyewng khohng mak. |
| Nhà vệ sinh bị rò nước. | There's a leak in the bathroom. | nya yay sin bee raw new-uhk. |
| Em gửi video cho chị coi nha. | I'll send you a video to look at. coi = to look (southern word; North: xem) | em gew-ee video chaw chee koy nya. |
| Khi nào thợ tới được vậy chị? | When can the repairman come? | khee nao tuh tuhy dew-uhk yuhy chee? |
| Chiều mai em ở nhà. | I'll be home tomorrow afternoon. | chee-oo mai em uh nya. |
| Tiền sửa ai trả vậy chị? | Who pays for the repair? | tee-uhng sew-uh ai cha yuhy chee? |
| Nhà em ở đường Quốc Hương, phường An Khánh. | My place is on Quốc Hương Street, An Khanh Ward. | nya em uh dew-uhng wohk hew-uhng, few-uhng ang khan. |
Real conversation — The air conditioner is broken
On a hot afternoon, the bedroom air conditioner in Minsu's home isn't cooling. He calls his landlord Lan on Zalo, and a repairman comes the next day.
| Minsu | Alô, chị Lan hả? Em Min-su đây. | Hello, Lan? It's Minsu. |
| Lan | Ừ, có chuyện gì không em? | Yes, what's up? |
| Minsu | Máy lạnh phòng ngủ chạy nhưng không mát chị ơi. | The bedroom AC is running but it's not cooling. |
| Lan | Chắc hết gas rồi. Em quay video gửi chị coi nha. | It's probably out of gas. Film a video and send it to me. |
| Minsu | Dạ, em gửi qua Zalo rồi. | Okay, I've sent it on Zalo. |
| Lan | Ok, mai chị kêu thợ tới. Em ở nhà lúc mấy giờ? | Okay, I'll call a repairman tomorrow. What time will you be home? |
| Minsu | Dạ, sau ba giờ chiều em ở nhà. | I'll be home after 3 p.m. |
| Lan | Được rồi. Tiền sửa chị trả, em đừng lo. | Alright. I'll pay for the repair, don't worry. |
| Driver | Chào anh, em là thợ chị Lan kêu tới sửa máy lạnh. | Hello, I'm the repairman Lan called to fix the AC. |
| Minsu | Dạ, mời anh vô. Máy lạnh ở phòng này. | Please come in. The AC is in this room. |
| Driver | Máy hết gas rồi anh. Bơm gas xong là mát liền. | It's out of gas. Once I refill it, it'll cool right away. |
| Minsu | Dạ, cảm ơn anh nhiều. | Thank you very much. |
How to ask for repairs effectively
- Photos or a video + a short sentence work best. One line like 'Máy lạnh bị hư rồi' plus a video is enough.
- Air conditioners need cleaning every 3–6 months (vệ sinh máy lạnh) to stay cool and use less power. Agree on who pays for cleaning when you sign.
- If the power or water is out for the whole area, ask the apartment management office (ban quản lý) or a neighbor first. Outages for work are often announced in advance.
- When a repairman comes, ask the price before the repair (bao nhiêu tiền?).
Electricity bill warnings
- A landlord collecting for electricity may only charge the power company's bill plus up to 10% for shared losses. Setting their own high rate (e.g. 4,000 VND per kWh) breaks the rules.
- However, if the lease is shorter than 12 months and the number of residents hasn't been registered, tier-3 pricing may apply to all your usage.
- Before signing, ask 'Tiền điện tính giá nào vậy chị?' (What rate is electricity charged at?) and ask for a photo of the bill.
- If the bill looks wrong, you can contact the power company's customer service (1900 1006 or 1900 9000). Rates change every year, so check the latest with EVN.