Vietnamese Phrases for Travellers: What to Say and How to Say It

You can travel across Vietnam without speaking a word of Vietnamese. But the visitors who learn twenty or thirty phrases tend to have a noticeably warmer trip: the stallholder who laughs at your attempt at “thank you” is also the one who points you to the better bowl of noodles. This page gives you those phrases, sorted by situation, with a rough guide to saying them.

What language you are dealing with

Vietnamese is the official language of the country, spoken from the Chinese border to the Mekong Delta. It is written in the Latin alphabet with diacritics, a system known as quoc ngu, and not in Chinese characters. That is good news: you can read a menu aloud letter by letter, with a little goodwill, and the marks above and below the letters tell you how to pitch each syllable.

English is common in hotels, tour agencies and tourist-facing restaurants in the main destinations, such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An and Da Nang. It is much less common in the countryside, in family-run local eateries, in markets and among many taxi and motorbike drivers. Our short piece on whether people speak English in Vietnam goes into the details, and the phrases below are meant for exactly those gaps.

How Vietnamese sounds: tones and diacritics

Vietnamese is a tonal language. The pitch pattern of a syllable is part of the word, and the marks written above or below the vowel tell you which tone to use. The standard example is the syllable ma:

Written	Tone	Meaning
ma	level	ghost
má	rising	mother (southern: also cheek)
mà	low falling	but, which
mả	dipping, questioning	tomb
mã	rising with a break	horse, code
mạ	low, short and heavy	rice seedling

That is six tones, as spoken in the north around Hanoi. In Ho Chi Minh City and the south the dipping and broken tones merge, so you hear five. Central Vietnam, especially around Hue, has the most distinctive accent, and even other Vietnamese people sometimes find it hard to follow.

Three things to take from this:

1. The marks matter. Write phrases down with their diacritics, because “cam on” without them can be several different things. The letter đ is a hard “d”, while plain d is closer to a “z” in the north and a “y” in the south.
2. Context carries you. A listener who sees you holding a menu will not suddenly think you are talking about a ghost. Mispronounced words are usually understood from the situation.
3. Approximate is fine. Your tones will be off, and people will smile. That is not a failure, it is the point of trying. Say the phrase slowly, point, and repeat it once if needed.

A few vowels deserve a warning: ơ sounds like the “u” in “fur”, ư is a similar sound with the lips spread, and â and ă are short sounds. You do not need to master these to be understood.

Greetings and politeness

These are the phrases you will use dozens of times a day. The rough sounds are written for English speakers and will not be exact.

English	Vietnamese	Rough sound
Hello	Xin chào	sin chow
Hello (casual, shorter)	Chào	chow
Goodbye	Tạm biệt	tahm byet
See you again	Hẹn gặp lại	hen gap lye
Thank you	Cảm ơn	gahm uhn
Thank you very much	Cảm ơn nhiều	gahm uhn nyew
You’re welcome / it’s nothing	Không có gì	kohm go zee
Sorry / excuse me	Xin lỗi	sin loy
Yes (polite)	Vâng (north) / Dạ (south)	vuhng / yah
No	Không	kohm
Please (asking for something)	Làm ơn	lam uhn
I don’t understand	Tôi không hiểu	toy kohm hyew
Do you speak English?	Bạn có nói tiếng Anh không?	ban go noy tyeng ang kohm
My name is…	Tên tôi là…	ten toy la

A few notes on using these:

• Xin chào works with everybody, at any hour, in any region. Vietnamese people often add a word for the person’s age and gender after “chào” (for example “chào anh” to a man or “chào chị” to a woman of about your age). It is a lovely touch but entirely optional, and the social side of it is covered in our etiquette and customs guide.
• Dạ and vâng both mean a polite “yes”, but they also act as a courteous “I am listening”. If someone answers a question with “dạ”, they may simply be acknowledging you, not agreeing.
• Không means “no” and also “not” or “zero”, so you will hear it constantly. “Không, cảm ơn” (no, thank you) is the polite way to turn down a street seller, with a smile and a small nod.
• Xin lỗi works both for apologising and for getting someone’s attention in a shop or restaurant, as in “excuse me”.

Phrases for the table: pho, bun cha, banh mi and coffee

Eating is where a little Vietnamese pays off fastest. Many local places have a short menu, no English and a cheerful owner who will simply bring you what the others are having. The point of these phrases is to order, adjust and pay, not to understand regional cooking; for that, see our Vietnamese food guide.

English	Vietnamese	Rough sound
I would like…	Cho tôi…	jaw toy
One bowl of pho	Một tô phở	moht toh fuh
One bun cha	Một phần bún chả	moht fuhn boon cha
One banh mi	Một ổ bánh mì	moht oh bahn mee
Iced milk coffee	Cà phê sữa đá	ka fay suh dah
Egg coffee	Cà phê trứng	ka fay chuhng
Hot black coffee	Cà phê đen nóng	ka fay den nawm
No sugar	Không đường	kohm duhng
Less sugar	Ít đường	it duhng
No chilli	Không ớt	kohm uht
No coriander	Không rau mùi	kohm row mooy
I am vegetarian	Tôi ăn chay	toy an chai
Delicious!	Ngon quá!	ngon gwa
Water, please	Cho tôi nước	jaw toy nuhk
The bill, please	Tính tiền (south) / Thanh toán (north)	tin tyen / tang twan

A few practical points:

• Cho tôi (“give me”) is the most useful two-word phrase in a restaurant. Say it, then the name of the dish, and you have ordered. Add hai (two) or ba (three) before the dish for a group.
• Cà phê sữa đá is the Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk, and it is often very sweet. If you want it less sweet, say “ít đường” or “ít sữa” (less milk). The Vietnamese coffee guide explains the range, and Hanoi’s famous egg coffee has its own page.
• Bánh mì is the baguette sandwich. If you want it plain of chilli, say “không ớt”; if you want it spicy, say “có ớt”. Our banh mi guide covers fillings.
• Allergies are worth writing down, not saying. Show a note or a translated phrase for peanuts (đậu phộng in the south, lạc in the north) or shellfish (hải sản), and check the broth and sauces, because fish sauce appears in almost everything.
• Bia hơi is the cheap fresh draught beer of the north. To toast, someone will say “một, hai, ba, dô!” (one, two, three, cheers), and everyone will answer.

If you prefer to learn at the stove, an authentic Vietnamese cooking tour from Hoi An is a relaxed way to pick up the names of herbs, sauces and dishes in context, with an English-speaking guide on hand.

Numbers and prices

Prices in Vietnam are quoted in dong (VND) in large numbers, and sellers often drop the word for “thousand”. So “năm mươi” (fifty) at a market stall means 50,000 VND, not 50 dong. A rough rate in 2026 is around 28,000 VND to 1 EUR and 26,000 VND to 1 USD, so 50,000 VND is under two euros. Our money guide covers cash, cards and ATMs.

Number	Vietnamese	Rough sound
0	không	kohm
1	một	moht
2	hai	hi
3	ba	ba
4	bốn	bohn
5	năm	nam
6	sáu	sow
7	bảy	bye
8	tám	tam
9	chín	cheen
10	mười	muh-ee
20	hai mươi	hi muh-ee
100	một trăm	moht chuhm
1,000	một nghìn (north) / một ngàn (south)	moht ngin / ngan
1,000,000	một triệu	moht chyew

To build a price, say the number and then nghìn (thousand), or the number alone if the context is obvious. 35,000 VND is ba mươi lăm nghìn, often shortened to ba lăm (thirty-five). 200,000 VND is hai trăm nghìn, and 1,500,000 VND is một triệu rưỡi (one and a half million).

Useful phrases for paying:

English	Vietnamese	Rough sound
How much?	Bao nhiêu tiền?	bow nyew tyen
Too expensive	Đắt quá	dat gwa
Can you lower it?	Bớt được không?	buht duhk kohm
Cheaper, please	Rẻ hơn	zeh huhn
Can I pay by card?	Thanh toán bằng thẻ được không?	tang twan bang teh duhk kohm
Do you have change?	Có tiền lẻ không?	go tyen leh kohm
Keep the change	Không cần thối	kohm guhn toy

Bargaining is normal in markets and with some street sellers, not in shops with printed prices, restaurants, hotels or on metered rides. The usual approach is friendly and unhurried: ask the price, make a counter-offer at roughly two thirds, smile, and leave happily if you cannot agree. If a price feels very wrong, our guide to scams to avoid in Vietnam explains the common tricks around tourist hubs.

Getting around: transport and directions

Most visitors use ride-hailing apps such as Grab, Be or Xanh SM, which means the app does the talking about destination and price. But you will still need a few phrases for the airport, the station, the bus stop and the moment a driver cannot find you. For how the systems fit together, see our guides to getting around Vietnam and to Grab and taxis.

English	Vietnamese	Rough sound
Where is…?	… ở đâu?	uh dow
Where is the toilet?	Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu?	nya vay sin uh dow
I want to go to…	Tôi muốn đi…	toy moo-uhn dee
Airport	Sân bay	suhn bye
Train station	Ga tàu	ga tow
Bus station	Bến xe	ben seh
Hotel	Khách sạn	kak san
Turn left	Rẽ trái	zeh chai
Turn right	Rẽ phải	zeh fai
Go straight	Đi thẳng	dee tang
Stop here	Dừng ở đây	yuhng uh day
Please turn on the meter	Làm ơn bật đồng hồ	lam uhn buht dohm ho
Slowly, please	Chậm thôi	chuhm toy
How long does it take?	Mất bao lâu?	muht bow low
How far is it?	Bao xa?	bow sa

Some context makes these easier to use:

• Show the address. Write the name of your hotel or destination in Vietnamese, with its diacritics, on your phone or on the hotel’s card. Pointing at a written address works better than any pronunciation, and a hotel card in your pocket is a cheap and reliable fallback.
• Ask for the meter. In a metered taxi, “bật đồng hồ” is the phrase. If a driver refuses, get out and use an app instead.
• Distances are long. Vietnam stretches roughly 1,650 km, and “đi Sài Gòn” (go to Saigon) from Hanoi is a flight of about two hours or a train journey of more than thirty. Check the transport before you say yes to a long ride; the guides to domestic flights and the Reunification Express explain the options.

Asking for help and handling problems

You will probably never need the phrases in this section, but it is far better to have them written down before a problem than to look for them in the middle of one.

English	Vietnamese	Rough sound
Help!	Giúp tôi với!	zoop toy vuh-ee
I am lost	Tôi bị lạc	toy bee lak
I need a doctor	Tôi cần bác sĩ	toy guhn bak see
Hospital	Bệnh viện	ben vyen
Pharmacy	Nhà thuốc	nya tuhk
Call the police	Gọi cảnh sát	goy kang sat
I lost my passport	Tôi bị mất hộ chiếu	toy bee muht ho chyew
My phone was stolen	Điện thoại của tôi bị lấy cắp	dyen twai goo-ah toy bee lay gap
I am allergic to…	Tôi bị dị ứng với…	toy bee zee uhng vuh-ee
I feel sick	Tôi thấy không khỏe	toy thay kohm kweh

The emergency numbers are 113 for the police, 114 for the fire brigade and 115 for an ambulance. Operators will not necessarily speak English, so if you can, ask a hotel receptionist, a shop owner or a passer-by to call for you. Violent crime is rare, and the real risks are traffic, heat, phone snatching from motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh City and overcharging at tourist hubs, all covered in our safety guide.

Tools that help more than a phrasebook

Memorised phrases cover the first thirty seconds of a conversation. For everything after that, three habits work better than any list:

1. Download the Vietnamese pack in a translation app before you leave, so it works without a connection. Its camera mode reads menus, signs and pharmacy labels, which is invaluable when the writing is unfamiliar. A local data plan keeps it working in the street, and our eSIM and SIM card guide covers the options.
2. Type, don’t speak. Typing a short sentence in English and showing the result is usually more reliable than dictating into a phone against traffic noise.
3. Use short, plain sentences with a person, even in English. “Hotel, how far?” works better than a polished question, and slow, calm speech beats loud speech every time.

For rural trips, where English is thinnest, a guide changes the day completely. A small-group excursion such as a Hanoi to Ninh Binh day trip for up to four guests or a full-day guided city tour of Da Nang puts an English-speaking local next to you for translation, context and the right phrase at the right moment.

A short list to memorise before you land

If you only have time to learn ten things on the flight, make it these:

1. Xin chào (hello)
2. Cảm ơn (thank you)
3. Xin lỗi (sorry, excuse me)
4. Không, cảm ơn (no, thank you)
5. Cho tôi… (give me…)
6. Bao nhiêu tiền? (how much?)
7. Đắt quá (too expensive)
8. Ngon quá! (delicious!)
9. Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu? (where is the toilet?)
10. Giúp tôi với! (help me!)

If you plan your trip more broadly, our first-time visitor guide places these phrases in the wider picture, from visas and timing to getting your bearings.

Frequently asked questions about Vietnamese phrases for travellers

Do I need to speak Vietnamese to travel in Vietnam?

No. English is common in hotels, tour agencies and tourist restaurants in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, Da Nang and the other main destinations. It is much less common in the countryside, in local eateries and with many drivers, where a few phrases and a translation app help a great deal.

Is Vietnamese written in Chinese characters?

No. Vietnamese is written in the Latin alphabet with diacritics, a system called quoc ngu. The marks above and below the letters show the tone and the vowel quality, so they change the meaning of a word and are worth copying exactly when you write a phrase down.

Why is Vietnamese considered hard to pronounce?

Because it is a tonal language. The same syllable, such as ma, can mean ghost, mother, but, tomb, horse or rice seedling depending on the tone. In practice context does most of the work, so an approximate tone usually gets you understood, often with a smile.

Is there a difference between northern and southern Vietnamese?

Yes. The north (Hanoi) keeps six distinct tones, the south (Ho Chi Minh City) merges two of them, and some everyday words differ, such as the word for yes or for peanuts. Vietnamese people understand each other perfectly, and they will understand your textbook phrases whichever region you are in.

What is the most useful app for communicating in Vietnam?

A translation app with the Vietnamese pack downloaded for offline use, plus its camera mode for menus and signs. A local eSIM or SIM card keeps it working in the street. Showing the screen to someone is often quicker than trying to say a long sentence.

How do I say how much something costs and bargain politely?

Ask bao nhiêu tiền? (how much?) and, in markets only, try bớt được không? (can you lower it?). Prices are quoted in dong, often with the thousands dropped, so năm mươi means 50,000 VND. Smile, stay friendly, and never bargain in shops with fixed prices, restaurants or on metered rides.