Hello in Vietnamese: start with xin chào
Xin chào is a useful general greeting when you are beginning. You will also hear chào followed by the person being addressed. With a classmate of similar age, Chào bạn! is a useful example. With someone a little older, anh or chị may fit better. These are choices about the relationship, not different words for morning and afternoon.
- Xin chào!
- Hello — a general greeting.
- Chào bạn!
- Hello — here, to a peer or classmate of similar age.
- Chào anh!
- Hello — here, to a man somewhat older than the speaker.
- Chào chị!
- Hello — here, to a woman somewhat older than the speaker.
Goodbye in Vietnamese: tạm biệt and hẹn gặp lại
Tạm biệt is a straightforward farewell. Hẹn gặp lại looks ahead to seeing someone again. Among familiar peers, Tạm biệt nhé! gives a friendly ending to the exchange. Chào can also occur when leaving; the situation tells your listener whether you are arriving or saying goodbye. You do not need a new farewell for each time of day.
- Tạm biệt!
- Goodbye.
- Hẹn gặp lại!
- See you again.
- Hẹn gặp bạn ngày mai!
- See you tomorrow — addressed here to a peer.
Add courtesy without translating every English word
Cảm ơn means thank you; xin lỗi can introduce an apology or get someone’s attention. Vietnamese politeness also depends on address words, tone of voice, and the request itself. There is no single word you should paste into every sentence for English “please.” Learn a complete exchange instead of attaching every polite particle you know.
- Cảm ơn chị.
- Thank you — to the woman addressed as chị.
- Xin lỗi.
- Sorry; excuse me, according to the situation.
- Không có gì.
- You’re welcome; a response to thanks.
Try a four-line exchange
Imagine two adult classmates of similar age. A says Chào bạn! and B replies Chào bạn! When they leave, A says Tạm biệt nhé! and B answers Hẹn gặp lại! Say both roles, then cover the Vietnamese and recall the greeting and farewell. Keep the spelling marks: chào and chao are not interchangeable spellings.
Try these examples
- xin chào
- hello; general greeting
- Chào bạn!
- Hello! — between peers in this exchange
- tạm biệt
- goodbye
- Hẹn gặp lại!
- See you again!
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