Vietnamese, an Austroasiatic language, is the official language of Vietnam. Known for its tonal nature, Vietnamese can seem challenging at first, but it offers a rich linguistic and cultural exploration. This lesson covers essential conversational phrases and questions in Vietnamese, facilitating various social interactions.

Greetings

• Hello/Hi – “Xin chào” (sin chow)
• Good morning – “Chào buổi sáng” (chow bwuoy sang)
• Good afternoon – “Chào buổi chiều” (chow bwuoy chee-oo)
• Good evening – “Chào buổi tối” (chow bwuoy toy)
• Goodbye – “Tạm biệt” (tam byet)

Introducing Yourself or Others

• My name is [name]. – “Tôi tên là [name].” (toy ten la [name])
• This is [name]. – “Đây là [name].” (dye la [name])
• I am from [country]. – “Tôi đến từ [country].” (toy den too [country])
• I live in [city/place]. – “Tôi sống ở [city/place].” (toy song uh [city/place])

Asking for Directions or People

• Where is the [place]? – “[Place] ở đâu?” ([Place] uh dow?)
• How do I get to [place]? – “Làm sao để đến [place]?” (lam sao de den [place]?)
• Is this the way to [place]? – “Đây có phải là đường đến [place] không?” (dye co fai la duong den [place] khong?)
• Can you show me on the map? – “Bạn có thể chỉ tôi trên bản đồ không?” (ban co the chee toy tren ban do khong?)

Solving a Misunderstanding

• Sorry, I don’t understand. – “Xin lỗi, tôi không hiểu.” (sin loy, toy khong hee-uh)
• Can you please repeat that? – “Bạn có thể nói lại được không?” (ban co the noy lie duoc khong?)
• I mean… – “Ý tôi là…” (ee toy la…)
• What does [word] mean? – “[Word] nghĩa là gì?” ([Word] nghia la zee?)

Farewell Expressions

• See you later – “Hẹn gặp lại” (hen gap lie)
• Take care – “Chúc bạn khỏe” (chook ban kweh)
• Have a good day – “Chúc bạn một ngày tốt lành” (chook ban mot ngay tot lan)

Travel and Dining

• I would like to book a room. – “Tôi muốn đặt một phòng.” (toy mu-on dat mot fong)
• Can I see the menu, please? – “Cho tôi xem thực đơn được không?” (cho toy xem thook don duoc khong?)
• I am vegetarian. – “Tôi ăn chay.” (toy an chay)
• The bill, please. – “Làm ơn tính tiền.” (lam uhn tinh tee-en)

Shopping

• How much does this cost? – “Cái này giá bao nhiêu?” (kai nay zah bow new)
• Do you have this in another size? – “Bạn có cái này cỡ khác không?” (ban co kai nay co khack khong?)
• I’m just looking, thanks. – “Tôi chỉ xem thôi, cảm ơn.” (toy chee xem thoy, cam uhn)
• Can I pay by card? – “Tôi có thể thanh toán bằng thẻ không?” (toy co the tang toan bang the khong?)

Dating and Love

• You look beautiful. (to a woman) / You look handsome. (to a man) – “Bạn trông rất đẹp.” (ban trong rat dep) / “Bạn trông rất đẹp trai.” (ban trong rat dep trai)
• I miss you. – “Tôi nhớ bạn.” (toy nho ban)
• I love you. – “Tôi yêu bạn.” (toy yeu ban)
• Would you like to go out with me? – “Bạn có muốn đi chơi với tôi không?” (ban co mu-on di choy voy toy khong?)

Emergencies

• Help! – “Cứu tôi với!” (coo toy voy!)
• Call the police! – “Gọi cảnh sát!” (goy canh sat!)
• I need a doctor. – “Tôi cần bác sĩ.” (toy can back see)
• Where is the nearest hospital? – “Bệnh viện gần nhất ở đâu?” (benh vee-en gan nhat uh dow?)

These phrases offer a solid foundation for basic communication in Vietnamese. Practice speaking and listening regularly, engage with Vietnamese media, and don’t hesitate to converse with native speakers. Remember, language learning is a journey—embrace mistakes as learning opportunities and continue to explore the rich linguistic and cultural nuances of the Vietnamese language.