Difference between revisions of "Vietnamese phrasebook"

Revision as of 00:18, 4 January 2013

Vietnamese is one of the most spoken languages in the world, with around 90 million native speakers. It is the official language in Vietnam and also widely spoken in places where the Vietnamese have immigrated such as the United States and Australia. Vietnamese grammar is very simple: nouns and adjectives don't have genders, and verbs aren't conjugated. Vietnamese is a tonal language; the meaning of a word depends on how high or low your voice is. Vietnamese is not related to Chinese, though it contains many loan words from Chinese due to centuries of Chinese rule in Vietnam, and even used Chinese-like characters as its writing system, called "chữ Nôm", until Vietnam was colonised by the French.

Pronunciation guide

Vietnamese spelling is more or less phonetic, and generally similar to Portuguese (which it is based on). Once you figure out how to pronounce each letter and tone, you have a pretty good idea of how to pronounce Vietnamese, which has very few exceptions compared to English.

Unless otherwise indicated, pronunciation throughout this phrasebook is for Northern (Hanoi) Vietnamese, which is quite different from Southern (Saigon), North Central (Vinh) or Central (Hue) Vietnamese.

Vowels

a

like 'a' in "hat": ba (means "father").

ă

like 'u' in "cut": chăn (means "blanket").

â

like 'o' in "person": sân (means "yard" in front of back of a house).

e

like 'eah' in "yeah": tre (means "bamboo").

ê

like 'ay' in "say": cà phê (means "coffee").

i

like 'ee' in "see" or "deed": thi (means "test/exam").

o

like 'o' in "dog": lý do (means "reason").

ô

like the first component of the diphthong 'ow' in "low" or 'o' in "go": á-lô ("Hello" on the phone).

ơ

like â, except longer, or 'ir' in "bird": bơ (means "avocado" or "butter").

u

like 'oo' in "hoop": thu (means "autumn").

ư

like 'oo' in "book", with a hint of the 'i' in "lick", or like saying "you" without moving your lips, keeping your mouth wide open: thư (means "mail" or "letter").

Consonants

b 

like 'b' in "bed". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.

c 

like 'k' in "sky".

d 

in the South (Ho Chi Minh City), like 'y' in "yes"; in the North (Hanoi), like 'z' in "zip". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.

đ 

like 'd' in "dog". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.

g 

like 'g' in "go".

h 

like 'h' in "help".

k 

like 'k' in "sky". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.

l 

like 'l' in "love". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.

m 

like 'm' in "mother".

n 

like 'n' in "nice".

p 

like 'p' in "sport".

r 

in the South (Ho Chi Minh City), like 'r' in "red" or 's' in "pleasure"; in the North (Hanoi), like 'z' in "zip". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.

s 

like 'ss' in "hiss". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.

t 

like 't' in "stop".

v 

in the North, like 'v' in "victory"; in the South, like 'y' in "yes". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.

x 

like 's' in "kicks". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.

y 

like 'y' in "yes".

ch 

at the beginning of a syllable, like 'ch' in "touch"; at the end, like 'ck' in "sick" (but it is never enunciated).

gh 

like 'g' in "go". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.

kh 

like 'ch' in "loch" or 'c' in "cat".

ng, ngh 

like 'ng' in "singer": Nga.

ph 

like 'ph' in "phone".

th 

like 't' in "time". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.

tr 

like 'ch' in "chat". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.

ch 

like 'ch' in "chat". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.

Other combinations

gi 

in the North, like 'z' in "zip"; in the South, like 'y' in "yes". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.

qu 

in the North, like 'qu' in "square"; in the South, like 'w' in "we".

uy 

like 'wi' in "win".

Tones

In Vietnamese, syllables can have six different tones, with five of them indicated by tone marks applied to the syllable's main vowel. Tone marks can be combined with the other diacritics.

a 

flat

á 

high rising; example: đấy, like saying "day?"

à 

low

ã 

creaky

ả 

falling, then rising

ạ 

a low "a'ah"

Grammar

One important difference between Vietnamese and Western languages is that Vietnamese has no polite equivalent of the second-person pronoun, "you." Only very close acquaintances and friends use the second-person pronoun "May" (pronounced "mhay" with a heavy A and accentuated Y), as it is considered very impolite between strangers. It is roughly equivalent to the pronoun "Omae" in Japanese. Consider it the extreme version of misusing "Toi" in place of "Vous" in French, except there is no equivalent of "Vous" in Vietnamese. Like with many other Asian cultures, it is more socially acceptable to be aware of your formal/informal relationship to another person, and imply it through the word you use to address them.

Strange as it might sound, conversational Vietnamese takes place almost entirely in the second and third persons. For example, instead of saying "I think you are very beautiful" to a girl you like, you might say, "This older male thinks you (the younger female) very beautiful" or abridge it to "You (the younger female) are very beautiful." There is always an overt implication in how you address someone according to their age and sex.

To Western ears, talking in the third person sounds stilted and pretentious, but to Vietnamese ears, it is the social norm. Vietnamese has a word for "I", tôi, but Vietnamese would use it only in abstract or formal situations (such as public speaking, addressing a television camera, or writing in a book.) Only foreigners use tôi in conversation, which sounds stilted to Vietnamese, but they understand why it is done and come to expect it.

In conversational Vietnamese, the proper way to refer to yourself and others depends on a hierarchy of age and sex. Many of the terms have a literal meaning of family relationships, though they are used for all people on all occasions. Options include:

• Ban (friend, pronounced "bhang" with a heavy A. Easily confused with the word "table" to hilarious effect.)
• Con (child, pronounced "kon", and – parents will be amused – also means animal, for example "Con chim" literally means "(that) animal (which is a) bird", and as comedic sex slang, "Con chim" also means "young boy's penis".)
• Em (literally, younger person, generally reserved for a younger sister, younger female relative, or a female acquaintance whom you consider equal to or younger than you – refers to anyone younger than you but older than a child. It is the usual way to address your wife, girlfriend, or female lover, regardless of your own age or sex, with implications of endearment beyond daily usage of the word. Can be considered the equivalent of "my dear".)
• Anh (older brother – man older than you by up to 10-20 years depending on how close they are. Or refers to a man of the same age as you, but whom you hold in high regard even if you are slightly older. It is also the usual way to address a husband, boyfriend, or male lover, regardless of your own age or sex, with implications of endearment beyond daily usage.)
  
• Chị (older sister – woman older than you by up to 10-20 years depending on how close they are, with the implication that you feel the age between you and her does not matter. Generally only used for females slightly older than you.)
• Chú (literally, "Mister" with implications toward "uncle". Also used to address your father's younger brother – man older than you and who you feel deserves the distinction beyond "Anh".)
• Cô (literally, "Miss" or "Young Mrs." – woman older than you by 10+ years, or your female teacher prior to college. Implies that you feel she is a generation older than you, but you still think she is too young to be called "Madam" or "Mrs.")
• Bác (unisex term, used for both Sir and Madam, – refers to a mature person, generally 40 to 60 years old. Polite in that it implies you do not think the person is a senior or elderly yet.)
• Ông (literally, "old gentleman", grandfather – refers specifically to a senior man, 50-60+ years old depending on how close you are.)
• Bà (literally, "Madam" or "elderly lady", grandmother – refers specifically to a senior woman, 50-60+ years old depending on how close you are.)

Choose one from the list to represent yourself, and one to represent the person you are talking to, depending on sex and relative age. For example, to get the attention of a waiter or waitress in a restaurant, say em/anh/chi oi (oi being the ubiquitous Vietnamese term for "hey"). If you listen closely, when people address you or talk about you in Vietnamese, they will be using these terms. They will be very impressed if you can master this! Nonetheless, even between natural Vietnamese people, it can get awkward when you try to figure out how to address someone who appears to be the same sex and, as far as you can tell, about the same age as you. Once you figure out their age and sex, they may have you use one of the above terms, or simply be amiable and ask you to call them "Ban", or "friend".

For simplicity, however, many phrases below are are translated without the relevant terms for you and/or your listener: For example, "How are you" is literally translated as "Healthy or not?" It is generally impolite to speak to a person without directly addressing them unless they're a subordinate, but Vietnamese usually don't take offense when foreigners omit this. Wherever you see tôi below, you can substitute one of the words above according to the circumstance.

Phrase list

The following are very commonly-used phrases. They are listed in a general order of importance:

Basics

Hello. 

Xin chào. (seen chow)

Hi. 

Chào. (chow)

Hello. (on the phone) 

Á-lô. (AH-loh)

How are you? (Are you healthy?) 

Khỏe không? (kweh kohng?)

Fine, thank you. (I am healthy, thank you.) 

Khoẻ, cảm ơn. (kweh, kuhm uhhn)

What is your name? (formal, to a man (forties or older, depending on the sensitivity of the person you address)) 

Ông tên là gì? (ohng ten la zee)

What is your name? (formal, to a woman (forties or older, depending on the sensitivity of the person you address)) 

Bà tên là gì? (ba ten la zee)

What is your name? (informal, to a male who is not quite middle-aged AND/OR is not significantly older than you) 

Anh tên là gì? (ang ten la zee)

Note: Anh is an umbrella term for any older male figure. It's literal meaning is "older brother".

What is your name? (informal and also flattering, to a female who is not quite middle-aged AND not significantly older than you) 

Cô tên là gì? (koh ten la zee)

Note: There is a distinction between this and the last phrase, because in Vietnamese culture, one generally assumes that a woman, regardless of whether she looks middle-aged or not, is either not yet married, or does not yet have children, or is younger than she looks. Using "Cô" instead of "Bà" implies that you are giving her the benefit of your lack of knowledge about her. Thus, if she feels the need, she will (as a result of your flattery and politeness) correct you to use the mature "Bà" or the gender-disregarding term for an adult who is anywhere in their late thirties to fifties, "Bac" which is equivalent to "Sir" or "Madam". Some men and women prefer to be addressed as the polite and age-ambiguous "Bac" indefinitely, until they feel it is appropriate to be addressed in more mature terms.

My name is ______ . 

Tôi tên là ______ . (Toye ten la _____ .)

Please. 

Làm ơn. (lam uhhn)

Thank you. 

Cảm ơn. (kuhm uhhn)

You're welcome. 

Không sao đâu. (kohng sao doh)

Yes (affirmative)

Vâng (vuhng)

Yes (affirmative, respectful)

Dạ (zah)

Yes (correct)

Đúng (doong)

No. 

Không. (kohng)

I'm sorry. 

Xin lỗi. (seen loy)

Goodbye 

Tạm biệt (tam byet)

I can't speak Vietnamese [well]. 

Tôi không biết nói tiếng Việt [giỏi lắm]. (thoy kohng byet noy tyeng vyet [zoy luhm])

Do you speak English? 

Biết nói tiếng Anh không? (byet noy tyeng ang kohng)

Is there someone here who speaks English? 

Có ai đây biết nói tiếng Anh không? (KAW eye day byet noy tyeng ang kohng)

Help! 

Cứu (tôi) với! (gih-OO (thoy) vuh-y!) Thoi cang nguoi giup toi.

Look out! 

Cẩn thận! (guhn tuh'n!)

Good night (to sleep) 

Chúc ngủ ngon. (chook ngoo ngawn)

I don't understand. 

Tôi không hiểu. (toy kohng hee-oh)

Where is the toilet? (this phrase may be considered impolite)

Cầu tiêu ở đâu? (koh tee-oh uh doh)

Be back soon 

Sẽ quay lại sớm (...)

Problems

Leave me alone. 

Đừng làm phiền tôi. (DUHung LAHm fien Toy)

Don't touch me! 

Đừng đụng tôi! (DUHung DUHooung Toy)

I'll call the police. 

Tôi sẽ gọi cảnh sát./Tôi sẽ gọi công an. (Toy seEh Goy Kang Sat/ Toy seEH GAWoy Kong an)

Police! 

Công an!/Cảnh sát! (Kong an!/Kang Sat)

Stop! Thief! 

Ngừng lại! Ăn trộm! (GNoong LAai! Anh Chohm!)

I need your help. 

Cần (second person pronoun) giúp cho tôi. (Kan zoop CHaw Toy)

It's an emergency. 

Việc này khẩn cấp. (Vuec nai Kun cup)

I'm lost. 

Tôi bị lạc. (Toi bee lack)

I lost my bag. 

Tôi bị mất cái giỏ. (Toi bee mUHtt kai zaw)

I lost my wallet. 

Tôi bị mất cái ví. (Toi bee mUHtt kai vee)

I'm sick. 

Tôi bị bệnh. (Thoi bee bayng)

I've been injured. 

Tôi đã bị thương. (Toi DAH bee Tahuung)

I need a doctor. 

Tôi cần một bác sĩ. (Toi Kuhn moht back see)

Can I use your phone? 

Tôi dùng điện thoại của (second person pronoun) được không? (Toi zoong dyen twai KOOuh DUHuc KHong)

Numbers

(Phonetic approximations are in italics, and English words that sound very similar are in quotes.) When giving your age, it is common to say just the digits, e.g., "three-one" instead of "thirty-one".

0 

cê-rô (seh roh)/không (kohng)

1 

một (mo'oht, though most of the time comes out "moke" with a very slight swallowing of the final "k" sound)

2 

hai ("high")

3 

ba (bah)

4 

bốn ("bone")

5 

năm ("nuhm")

6 

sáu (sao)

7 

bảy (bai-ee, almost like "buy" in English)

8 

tám (tahm)

9 

chín ("chean")

10 

mười (meui)

11 

mười một (muh-uh-ee mo'oht)

12 

mười hai (muh-uh-ee hai)

13 

mười ba (muh-uh-ee bah)

14 

mười bốn (muh-uh-ee bohn?)

15 

mười lăm (muh-uh-ee lahm)

16 

mười sáu (muh-uh-ee sao?)

17 

mười bảy (muh-uh-ee buh-ee)

18 

mười tám (muh-uh-ee thahm?)

19 

mười chín (muh-uh-ee jeen?)

20 

hai mươi (hai muh-uh-ee)

21 

hai mươi mốt (hai muh-uh-ee moht?)

22 

hai mươi hai (hai muh-uh-ee hai)

23 

hai mươi ba (hai muh-uh-ee bah)

30 

ba mươi (bah muh-uh-ee)

40 

bốn mươi (bohn? muh-uh-ee)

50 

năm mươi (nahm muh-uh-ee)

60 

sáu mươi (sao? muh-uh-ee)

70 

bảy mươi (buh-ee muh-uh-ee)

80 

tám mươi (thahm? muh-uh-ee)

90 

chín mươi (jeen? muh-uh-ee)

100 

một trăm (moht cham or often just "cham")

200 

hai trăm (hai cham)

300 

ba trăm (bah cham)

1000 

một ngàn/nghìn (mo'oht ngang/ngeen...)

2000 

hai ngàn/nghìn (hai ngang/ngeen...)

1,000,000 

một triệu (mo'oht chee'ou)

1,000,000,000 

một tỹ/tỷ (mo'oht thee'ee?)

1,000,000,000,000 

một ngàn/nghìn tỹ/tỷ

number _____ (train, bus, etc.) 

số _____ ("so?")

half 

nửa (neu-uh?)

less 

ít hơn (eet huhhhn)

more 

hơn (huhhhn), thêm (tehm)

Time

now 

bây giờ (bay zuh...)

later 

lát nữa (laht? neu'uh?)

before 

trước (cheuck?)

morning 

sáng (sahng?)

afternoon 

chiều (jee-oh)

evening, night 

tối (toh-ee), đêm (dehm)

Clock time

one o'clock AM 

một giờ sáng (moht. yuh sahng?)

two o'clock AM 

hai giờ sáng (hai yuh sahng?)

noon 

trưa (cheu-uh)

one o'clock PM 

một giờ chiều (moht. yuh jee-oh)

two o'clock PM 

hai giờ chiều (high yuh jee-oh)

midnight 

nửa đêm (neu-uh dehm)

Duration

_____ minute(s) 

_____ phút (foot)

_____ hour(s) 

_____ tiếng (tyeng?)

_____ day(s) 

_____ ngày (ngai)

_____ week(s) 

_____ tuần (twuhn)

_____ month(s) 

_____ tháng (tahng?)

_____ year(s) 

_____ năm (nahm)

Days

today 

hôm nay (home nai)

yesterday 

hôm qua (hohm quah)

tomorrow 

mai (my)

the day after tomorrow, the next few days 

mai mốt (my moak)

this week 

tuần nay (twuhn nai)

last week 

tuần qua (twuhn quah)

next week 

tuần sau (twuhn sao)

The days of the week are simply numbered, with the exception of Sunday:

Sunday 

chủ nhật (choo nyuht.)

Monday 

thứ hai (teu? hai)

Tuesday 

thứ ba (teu? ba)

Wednesday 

thứ tư (teu? teu)

Thursday 

thứ năm (teu? nuhm!)

Friday 

thứ sáu (teu? sao?!)

Saturday 

thứ bảy (teu? bai?)

Months

Vietnamese does not have special names for each month. Instead, the months are simply numbered. Take the word tháng and add the month's number (see #Numbers above). For example:

March

tháng 3 / tháng ba (tahng? ba)

Writing time and date

Friday, December 17, 2004

Thứ sáu, ngày 17 tháng 12 năm 2004

12/17/2004

17/12/2004

2:36 AM

Hai giờ 36 sáng

2:36 PM

Hai giờ 36 chiều

Two in the morning

Hai giờ sáng

Two in the afternoon

Hai giờ chiều

Ten in the evening

Mười giờ đêm

Half past two

Hai giờ rưỡi

Noon

Trưa; 12 giờ trưa

Evening

Nửa đêm; 12 giờ đêm

Colors

When describing the color of an object etc., use the word below. When referring to the color itself, use màu or mầu followed by the word below.

black 

đen (Dan)

white 

trắng (chuhng?!)

gray 

xám (sahm?)

red 

đỏ (daw... aw?)

blue 

xanh nước (sang neu-uhk?)

yellow 

vàng (vang...)

green 

xanh (lá cây) (sang lah? kay)

orange 

cam (kahm)

purple 

tím (teem)

brown 

nâu (no)

Transportation

Bus and train

How much is a ticket to _____? 

Một vé đến _____ là bao nhiêu? (mo'oht veah? dehn? _____ lah... bao nyee-oh)

One ticket to _____, please. 

Xin cho tôi một vé đến _____. (seen jyaw toy mo'oht veah? dehn? _____)

Where does this train/bus go? 

Tàu/xe này đi đâu? (tao.../seh nay...! dee doh)

Where is the train/bus to _____? 

Tàu/xe đi đến _____ ở đâu? (tao.../seh dee dehn _____ uh...uh? doh)

Does this train/bus stop in _____? 

Tàu/xe này có ngừng tại _____ không? (tao.../seh nay...! kaw? ngeung... thah'ee _____ kohng)

When does the train/bus for _____ leave? 

Tàu/xe đi _____ chạy lúc nào? (tao.../seh dee _____ chai loohk? nahh-oh...)

When will this train/bus arrive in _____? 

Khi nào tàu/xe này xẽ đến _____? (kee now tao.../seh nay...! seh'uh? dehn? _____)

Directions

How do I get to _____ ? 

Làm sao tôi đến _____ ? (...)

...the train station? 

...nhà ga? (...)

...the bus station? 

...trạm xe buýt? (...)

...the airport? 

...phi trường (fee cheu-uhng...); ...sân bay? (...)

...downtown? 

...thành phố? (...)

Xuống phố làm sao? (Soo-uhng? foh? lahm... sao)

...the youth hostel? 

...nhà trọ cho khách du lịch? (...)

...the _____ hotel? 

...khách sạn _____? (...)

...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate? 

...tòa lãnh sự Mỹ/Canada/Uc/Anh? (...)

Where are there a lot of... 

Nơi nào có nhiều... (...)

...hotels? 

...khách sạn? (...)

...restaurants? 

...nhà hàng? (...)

...bars? 

...quán rượu? (...)

...sites to see? 

...thắng cảnh? (...)

Can you show me on the map? 

Chỉ trên bản đồ cho tôi được không? (...)

street 

đường(...)

Turn left. 

Quẹo trái. (...)

Turn right. 

Quẹo phải. (...)

left 

trái(...)

right 

phải (...)

straight ahead 

trước mặt (...)

towards the _____ 

tiến đến _____ (...)

past the _____ 

qua _____ (...)

before the _____ 

trước _____ (...)

Watch for the _____. 

Canh chừng _____. (...)

intersection 

ngã ba/tư/năm/sáu/bảy (3/4/5/6/7-way intersection) (...)

north 

bắc (...)

south 

nam (...)

east 

đông (...)

west 

tây (...)

uphill 

lên dốc (...)

downhill 

xuống dốc (...)

Taxi

Taxi! 

Taxi! (tha? see)

Take me to _____, please. 

Take me to _____, please. (...)

How much does it cost to get to _____? 

How much does it cost to

get to _____? (...)

Take me there, please. 

Take me there, please. (...)

Lodging

Do you have any rooms available? 

Có còn phòng không? (...)

How much is a room for one person/two people? 

Giá phòng cho một/hai người là bao nhiêu? (...)

Does the room come with... 

Trong phòng có ... không? (...)

...bedsheets? 

...ga trải gường? (...)

...a bathroom? 

...phòng vệ sinh? (...); ...phòng cầu tiêu (...)

...a telephone? 

...phôn ("phone"); ...điện thoại? (dee-uhn twai)

...a TV? 

...TV? (thee vee)

May I see the room first? 

Tôi xem phòng trước có được không? (...)

Do you have anything quieter? 

Có phòng nào yên tĩnh hơn không? (...)

...bigger? 

...lớn hơn không? (...)

...cleaner? 

...sạch hơn không? (...)

...cheaper? 

...rẻ hơn không? (...)

OK, I'll take it. 

OK, tôi lấy phòng này. (...)

I will stay for _____ night(s). 

Tôi sẽ ở _____ đêm. (...)

Can you suggest another hotel? 

Có thể giới thiệu cho tôi một khách sạn khác được không? (...)

Do you have a safe? 

Có két an toàn không? (...)

...lockers? 

... tủ gửi đồ? (...)

Is breakfast/supper included? 

Có kèm theo bữa sáng/tối không? (...)

What time is breakfast/supper? 

Ăn sáng/tối lúc mấy giờ? (...)

Please clean my room. 

Xin hãy dọn phòng tôi. (...)

Can you wake me at _____? | Xin đánh thức tôi dậy lúc _____? (...)

I want to check out. 

Tôi muốn check out. (...)

Money

Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars? 

Có lấy đô la Mỹ/Úc/Canada không? (...)

Do you accept British pounds? 

Có lấy bảng Anh không? (...)

Do you accept credit cards? 

Có nhận thẻ tín dụng không? (...)

Can you change money for me? 

Đổi tiền cho tôi được không? (...)

Where can I get money changed? 

Tôi có thể đi đổi tiền ở đâu? (...)

Can you change a traveler's check for me? 

Có thể đổi séc du lịch cho tôi được không? (...)

Where can I get a traveler's check changed? 

Tôi có thể đổi séc du lịch ở đâu? (...)

What is the exchange rate? 

Tỷ giá là bao nhiêu? (...)

Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)? 

Máy rút tiền (ATM) ở đâu? (...)

Eating

A table for one person/two people, please. 

Cho tôi một bàn cho một/hai người. (...)

Can I look at the menu, please? 

Cho tôi xem menu? (...)

Can I look in the kitchen? 

Cho tôi xem nhà bếp được không? (...)

Is there a house specialty? 

Quán ăn này có món đặc sản nào không? (...)

Is there a local specialty? 

Ở vùng này có món đặc sản nào không? (...)

I'm a vegetarian. 

Tôi ăn chay. (...)

I don't eat pork. 

Tôi không ăn thịt heo. (...)

I don't eat beef. 

Tôi không ăn thịt bò. (...)

I eat only kosher food. 

I eat only kosher food. (...)

Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard) 

Can you make it "lite", please? (...)

fixed-price meal 

fixed-price meal (...)

à la carte 

gọi theo món (...)

breakfast 

bữa sáng (boo... ee? sahng?)

lunch 

bữa trưa (boo-uh? cheu-uh)

tea (meal) 

nước trà (nook chah)

supper 

bữa chiều (boo... ee? chee-oh...)

I want _____. 

Xin _____. ("seen")

I want a dish containing _____. 

Xin một đĩa có _____. (...)

chicken 

(thịt) gà (teet. gah...)

beef 

(thịt) bò (teet. baw...)

fish 

cá (kah?)

ham 

giăm bông (zuhm bohng)

sausage 

xúc xích (sook? sick?)

cheese 

phó mát (faw? maht?)

eggs 

trứng (chuhng?)

salad 

xà lách (sah... lack?)

(fresh) vegetables 

rau (tươi) (zao theu-uh-ee)

(fresh) fruit 

trái cây (tươi) (chai? kai)

bread 

bánh mì (bang mee...)

toast 

bánh mì nướng (bang mee... neu-uhng?)

noodles 

mì (me...)

rice (cooked; as a dish) 

cơm (kuhm)

rice (uncooked) 

gạo ("gah-ow.")

beans (like mung beans) 

đậu (duh-oh.)

beans (like coffee beans) 

hột (hoht.)

May I have a glass of _____? 

Xin một ly _____? (...)

May I have a cup of _____? 

Xin một ly _____? (...)

May I have a bottle of _____? 

Xin một chai _____? (...)

coffee 

cà phê (ka... fay)

tea (drink) 

nước trà (neu-uk? chah...)

_____ juice 

nước _____ (neu-uk?)

bubbly water 

nước ngọt (neu-uk? ngawt.)

water 

nước (neu-uk?)

beer 

rượu (zew.), bia (pronounce "beer" with a British accent)

red/white wine 

rượu đỏ/trắng (zew. daw... aw? / chahng?!)

May I have some _____? 

Xin _____? (seen)

salt 

muối (moo-ee?)

black pepper 

hạt tiêu (haht. tee-oh)

butter 

bơ (buh)

Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server)

Em ơi! Làm ơn... (...)

I'm finished. 

Xong rồi. (saong zoy...)

It was delicious. 

Ngon lắm. (ngawn luhm)

Please clear the plates. 

Xin hãy dọn đĩa đi. (...)

The check, please. 

Thanh toán tiền. (...)

Bars

Do you serve alcohol? 

Có rượu ở đây không? (...)

Is there table service? 

(...)

A beer/two beers, please. 

Xin một/hai ly rượu. (...)

A glass of red/white wine, please. 

Xin một ly rượu đỏ/trắng. (...)

A pint, please. 

(...)

A bottle, please. 

Xin một chai. (...)

_____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please. 

(...)

whiskey 

uytky (...)

vodka 

(...)

rum 

(...)

water 

nước (neu-uhck?)

soda pop 

nước ngọt (neu-uhck? ngawt.)

club soda 

(...)

tonic water 

(...)

orange juice 

nước cam (neu-uhck? kam)

Coke (soda) 

Côca-Côla (koh-kah? koh-lah)

Do you have any bar snacks? 

(...)

One more, please. 

Xin một ly/chai nữa. (...)

Another round, please. 

(...)

When is closing time? 

Bao giờ đóng cửa? (Bow zuh... downg? keu-uh?)

Shopping

Do you have this in my size? 

(...)

How much (money) is this? 

Bao nhiêu (tiền)? (bahw ngew tee-uhn...)

That's too expensive. 

Đắt quá. (daht?! kwahh?)

Would you take _____? 

Lấy _____ được không? (lay? _____ deu'uhk kohng)

expensive 

đắt (daht?!)

cheap 

rẻ (zeh?)

I can't afford it. 

Tôi không có đủ tiền mua. (toy kohng kaw? doo...oo? tee-uhn... moo-uh)

I don't want it. 

Tôi không muốn. (toy kohng moo-uhn?)

You're cheating me. 

Mày ăn gian tôi. (my ang yang Toy)

I'm not interested. 

Tôi không quan hệ. (Toy cohng cuang hey)

OK, I'll take it. 

OK, tôi lấy. (Oh-kay, toy lay)

Can I have a bag? 

Có bao không? (kaw? bahw kohng)

Do you ship (overseas)? 

Có thể gởi đồ (ngoài nước) không? (...)

I need... 

Tôi cần... (toy cuhn...)

...toothpaste. 

...kem đánh răng. (kem dang? zung)

...a toothbrush. 

...bàn chải đánh răng. (bahn... chah-ee? dang? zung)

...tampons. 

băng vệ sinh

...soap. 

...xà bông. (sah... bohng)

...shampoo. 

...dầu gội. (...)

...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen) 

...thuốc giảm đau. (too-uhc? zah...ahm? dahw!)

...cold medicine. 

...thuốc cảm. (...)

...stomach medicine. 

...thuốc đau bụng. (...)

...a razor. 

...dao cạo râu. (zahw kah'oh zoh)

...an umbrella. 

...dù. (you...)

...sunblock lotion. 

...sunblock lotion. (...)

...a postcard. 

...bưu thiếp. (...)

...postage stamps. 

...tem. (tem)

...batteries. 

...pin. (peen)

...writing paper. 

...giấy. (zay?!)

...a pen. 

...bút mực. (boot?! muck)

...a pencil. 

...bút chì. (boot?! chee...)

...English-language books. 

...sách Anh ngữ. (...)

...English-language magazines. 

...tạp chí Anh ngữ. (tahp chee? ang-ngeu'eu?)

...an English-language newspaper. 

...báo Anh ngữ. (bahw? ang-ngeu'eu?)

...an English-English dictionary. 

...từ điển Anh-Anh. (theu... dee-en? ang-ang)

Driving

I want to rent a car. 

Tôi muốn mướn xe. (toy moo-uhn? meu'n seh)

Can I get insurance? 

Có bảo hiểm cho tôi không? (kaw? bah...oo hee...m? chaw toy khohng)

stop (on a street sign) 

ngừng (...)

one way 

một chiều (...)

yield 

yield (...)

no parking 

đừng đậu xe (...)

speed limit 

(...)

gas (petrol) station 

cây xăng (kay sung!)

petrol 

xăng (sung!)

diesel 

("...")

Authority

I haven't done anything wrong. 

Tôi chưa làm gì sai. (toy cheu-uh lam zee sai?)

It was a misunderstanding. 

Chỉ là hiểu lầm thôi. (chee...ee? lah... hee...oh? luhm... toy)

Where are you taking me? 

Ông đang dẫn tôi đi đâu? (ohng dahng yuh'n? toy dee duhw)

I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen. 

Tôi là công dân Mỹ/Australia/Anh/Canada. (toy lah... kohng yuhn mee'ee? / australia / ayng / kah-nah-dah)

I want to talk to the (American/Australian/British/Canadian) (embassy/consulate). 

Tôi cần phải nói chuyện với (đại sứ quán/lãnh sự) (Mỹ/Úc/Anh/Canada). (toy kuhn... fah...ee? naw-ee? cheu-ee'n vuh-ee? (dah'i seu? kwahn?/lay'ng? seu'eu) (mee'ee?/ook/ang/kah-nah-dah)

I want to talk to a lawyer. 

Tôi muốn nói chuyện với luật sư. (...)

Can I just pay a fine now? 

Tôi chỉ trả tiền phạt thôi được không? (...)

Learning more

• Vietnamese textbook at Wikibooks
• Learn Vietnamese Your Way Learn Vietnamese fast from English
• Vietnamese Online Web Application with 40 Interactive Free Lessons