Vietnamese phrases for travellers: hello, thank you, how much and 30 more
Hello in Vietnamese is xin chào, thank you is cảm ơn, and how much is bao nhiêu tiền? In cafés you'll want không đá (no ice), không cay (not spicy) and tính tiền (the bill). Vietnamese has six tones, so showing the phrase on your phone is often the surest way.
Hello in Vietnamese is xin chào, thank you is cảm ơn, sorry is xin lỗi, and how much is bao nhiêu tiền? In cafés and markets you'll use không đá (no ice), không cay (not spicy), đắt quá (too expensive) and tính tiền (the bill, please). Vietnamese has six tones — the same syllable with a different tone is a different word — so pronunciation guides are only approximate. The surest way is to show the phrase on your phone.
| English | Vietnamese |
|---|---|
| Hello | Xin chào |
| Thank you | Cảm ơn |
| Sorry / excuse me | Xin lỗi |
| Yes | Vâng / Dạ |
| No | Không |
| How much? | Bao nhiêu tiền? |
| Too expensive | Đắt quá |
| The bill, please | Tính tiền |
| No ice | Không đá |
| Not spicy | Không cay |
| No sugar | Không đường |
| I'm vegetarian | Tôi ăn chay |
| I don't understand | Tôi không hiểu |
| Where is the toilet? | Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu? |
| Help! | Cứu tôi với! |
| Goodbye | Tạm biệt |
How do you say hello and thank you in Vietnamese?
Hello is xin chào — polite and fine for any situation; plain chào is casual. Thank you is cảm ơn, which Vietnamese people really appreciate hearing from visitors. Sorry is xin lỗi. Goodbye is tạm biệt, though people often just say chào again.
What should you say in a café?
To call a waiter, say em ơi — the normal, polite way to address someone younger than you. For drinks, ask for không đá (no ice) or không đường (no sugar); for food, không cay (not spicy) or ít cay (a little spicy). Vegetarians can say tôi ăn chay. For the bill: tính tiền. What to order with your coffee: Vietnamese coffee.
What should you say at the market or in a taxi?
Ask bao nhiêu tiền? (how much?) and, if it's steep, đắt quá. Prices are in thousands of dong — thousand is nghìn in the north and ngàn in the south. If you don't understand, say tôi không hiểu and the seller will often show the price on a calculator. See Nha Trang markets and taxi apps in Vietnam.
How do you count in Vietnamese?
One to ten: một, hai, ba, bốn, năm, sáu, bảy, tám, chín, mười. A hundred is một trăm; a thousand is một nghìn or một ngàn.
Why don't people understand my Vietnamese?
Vietnamese has six tones, and northern and southern accents differ — for example, d sounds like y in the south and z in the north. Showing the written phrase works instantly. Address people by relative age: em for someone younger, anh for an older man, chị for an older woman.
What to say in an emergency?
Help! is cứu tôi với! — but call straight away: police 113, fire 114, ambulance 115. See emergency numbers in Vietnam.
FAQ
How do you say thank you in Vietnamese? Cảm ơn.
How do you say hello in Vietnamese? Xin chào.
How do you ask for the bill in Vietnamese? Tính tiền.
How do you say no ice? Không đá.