Basic Vietnamese phrases for everyday situations

Introduce yourself and keep the exchange going

These examples use tôi for the speaker and bạn for a peer. They are a starting point, not a universal address system. A greeting, a name, and a question give you a small exchange to rehearse. Answer with your own name rather than memorizing the model as a fixed script.

Xin chào!

Hello.

Tôi tên là Mai.

My name is Mai — replace Mai with your name.

Bạn tên là gì?

What is your name? — here, asking a peer.

Cảm ơn.

Thank you.

Ask for help when you do not understand

A repair phrase lets you stay in a conversation even with a small vocabulary. Ask the other person to repeat or slow down, then check one detail. In the last example, a younger speaker addresses an older woman as chị and refers to themself as em.

Xin lỗi, tôi không hiểu.

Sorry, I don’t understand.

Bạn nói lại được không?

Could you say that again? — to a peer.

Bạn nói chậm hơn được không?

Could you speak more slowly? — to a peer.

Chị ơi, giúp em với.

Excuse me, could you help me? — with the chị/em relationship described above.

Order food and ask the price

Cho tôi introduces a useful beginner request. Add a quantity and the thing you want: một bát phở bò is one bowl of beef pho. Tô is another common word for a bowl, especially in Southern usage. Use the dish name on the menu and confirm the order; a phrase list cannot anticipate every ingredient or preparation.

Cho tôi một bát phở bò.

One bowl of beef pho, please.

Cho tôi một chai nước.

One bottle of water, please.

Cái này bao nhiêu tiền?

How much is this?

Cho tôi tính tiền.

The bill, please; I’d like to pay.

Travel: name the place you need

Use a destination name together with a short question or request. Show the written place name when it helps. After asking where something is, expect a spoken answer: point to a map, repeat the place, or use your repair phrase if you need another explanation.

Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu?

Where is the restroom?

Tôi muốn đến ga.

I want to go to the train station.

Dừng ở đây, giúp tôi.

Please stop here.

Turn three phrases into practice

Choose one request, one repair phrase, and one thank-you. Say them without reading, then imagine a reply. Change the item or destination on the next attempt. Use a recording when one is available below; playback helps you compare sounds but does not score your pronunciation.