Learn basic Vietnamese phrases quickly to use when traveling

These everyday words are likely the ones you will use most in daily conversations while traveling in Vietnam.

The US Foreign Service Institute (FSI) put Vietnamese in the same group as Hebrew, Russian, and Urdu, which means it is a category four language as a "hard language".

Studies have shown that knowing as little as 100 words in Vietnamese will help you comprehend 50% of any communication in Vietnamese. 

What are some common phrases in Vietnamese?

Hello - /Sin chow!/ - Xin chào

How are you? - /kweh kohng?/ - Khỏe không?

Fine, thank you - /kweh, gauhm uhhn/ - Khoẻ, cảm ơn

Thank you - /gauhm uhhn/ - Cảm ơn

My name is ___. - /Toy ten la ___./ - Tôi tên là ___.

Yes (correct) - /doong/ - Đúng

No - /kaumng/ - Không

You're welcome - /kohng sao dwoh/ - Không sao đâu

I'm sorry - /sin loy/ - Tôi xin lỗi

Good bye - /tam byet/ - Tạm biệt

Yes - /vuhng/ - Vâng

Do you speak English? - /byet noy tyeng ang kaumng/ - Biết nói tiếng Anh không?

I don't understand - /toy kohng hugh/ - Tôi không hiểu

That's too expensive - /daht?! kwahh?/ - Đắt quá

How much? - /bow nyew/ - Bao nhiêu?

How much (money) is this? - /bahw ngew tee-uhn.../ - Bao nhiêu tiền?

I can't afford it - /toy kohng kaw? doo...oo? tee-uhn... moo-uh/ - Tôi không có đủ tiền mua

Cheap - /zeh?/ - Rẻ

Ok, I'll take it - /Oh-kay, toy lay/ - Ok, tôi lấy!

I can't speak Vietnamese [well] - /thoy kohng byet noy tyeng vyet [zoy luhm]/ - Tôi không biết nói tiếng Việt [giỏi lắm]