Speaking Vietnamese in Vietnam is not only a sign of cultural respect but it also enables one to navigate the country more easily and immerse in the local lifestyle. Mastering the tonal nature and unique phonetics of this language can truly enhance one's experience and interaction with the friendly locals.
You can generally get by in Vietnam speaking English, particularly in larger cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and popular tourist destinations such as Da Nang, Nha Trang, or Hoi An. Many Vietnamese working in the tourism industry, such as hotel staff, tour guides, and restaurant employees, have a basic to intermediate level of English.
Younger Vietnamese people are more likely to speak some English, as it is a mandatory subject in schools. English signage is also fairly common in urban and touristic areas, especially for restaurants, hotels, and attractions.
However, please note that the proficiency of English can vary widely among individuals, and in more rural or off-the-beaten-track places, fewer people will be able to communicate in English. Also, those who can speak English might not be completely fluent, and accents can sometimes be challenging to understand.
Knowing a few basic Vietnamese phrases and words can go a long way in helping you navigate the country and shows respect towards the local culture. Even if your pronunciation isn't perfect, locals generally appreciate the effort made by visitors to learn their language.
Vietnamese Language
Vietnamese is a tonal language, which means the pitch contour of a syllable can change the meaning of the word. Therefore, one of the biggest challenges in learning to speak Vietnamese is getting used to the different tones. There are six tones in total in the standard northern dialect.
Here's a brief description of the six tones:
Level (no mark): This tone is mid-level and flat. For example, "ma" (ghost).
Acute Accent (´): This tone starts mid and rises. For example, "má" (mother).
Grave Accent (`): This tone starts mid and falls. For example, "mà" (but).
Hook Above (^): This tone starts low and rises high. For example, "mả" (tomb).
Tilde (~): This tone starts mid, falls, then rises. For example, "mã" (horse).
Dot Below (.): This tone starts low and falls lower, usually cut short. For example, "mạ" (rice seedling).
Apart from tones, Vietnamese also includes certain phonemes that don't exist in English. For example, "ng" at the beginning of a word is common in Vietnamese, but not in English.
Another thing to note is that Vietnamese uses the Latin alphabet, thanks to a system developed by a French Jesuit missionary in the 17th century. This system, known as Quốc Ngữ (national language), makes it easier for English speakers to learn Vietnamese compared to other Asian languages like Chinese, Japanese, or Korean.
Hello - Xin chào (sin chow)
Goodbye - Tạm biệt (tam byet)
Thank you - Cảm ơn (kam uhn)
Yes - Có (koh)
No - Không (khawm)
Please - Làm ơn (lam uhn)
Sorry - Xin lỗi (sin loy)
Help - Giúp đỡ (yoop yo)
Bathroom - Nhà vệ sinh (nya vay sin)
Water - Nước (nook)
Food - Thức ăn (took an)
Hotel - Khách sạn (kak san)
Airport - Sân bay (san bai)
Taxi - Taxi (taxi)
Bus - Xe buýt (say bwit)
Train - Tàu (tow)
Hospital - Bệnh viện (ben vyen)
Doctor - Bác sĩ (bak see)
Police - Cảnh sát (kahn sat)
Market - Chợ (chaw)
Restaurant - Nhà hàng (nya hang)
Beer - Bia (bia)
Coffee - Cà phê (cah feh)
Tea - Trà (chah)
I'm lost - Tôi lạc (toy lak)
Where is...? - ...ở đâu? (...uh dau?)
How much? - Bao nhiêu? (baow nyew)
Too expensive - Đắt quá (dat kwa)
Discount - Giảm giá (ziam zia)
I don't understand - Tôi không hiểu (toy khawm hew)
Do you speak English? - Bạn có nói tiếng Anh không? (ban koh noy tyeng ang khawm?)
I'm allergic to... - Tôi dị ứng với... (toy yee oong vee...)
Vegetarian - Ăn chay (an chay)
What's this? - Cái này là gì? (kai nay la gee?)
Can I have the bill, please? - Tôi có thể lấy hóa đơn không? (toy koh te lay hwa don khawm?)
Excuse me - Xin lỗi (sin loy)
Delicious - Ngon (ngon)
I'm sick - Tôi bị ốm (toy bee ohm)
I need a doctor - Tôi cần bác sĩ (toy kan bak see)
Good night - Chúc ngủ ngon (chook ngoo ngon)
Left - Trái (chai)
Right - Phải (fai)
Straight ahead - Đi thẳng (dee thang)
Stop - Dừng lại (doong lai)
Slowly - Chậm lại (cham lai)
Fast - Nhanh (nyan)
Entrance - Lối vào (loy vao)
Exit - Lối ra (loy ra)
Open - Mở (muh)
Closed - Đóng (dawng)
Danger - Nguy hiểm (ngwee hiem)
I'm from... - Tôi từ... (toy too...)
I'm here on vacation - Tôi đang ở đây nghỉ mát (toy dang uh day nee maht)
What time is it? - Bây giờ là mấy giờ? (bai yo la may yo?)
Where can I find...? - Tôi có thể tìm... ở đâu? (toy koh te tim... uh dau?)
I'd like to go to... - Tôi muốn đi đến... (toy muan dee den...)
Do you have...? - Bạn có... không? (ban koh... khawm?)
It's urgent - Việc này khẩn cấp (vyek nai khan kap)
Could you help me? - Bạn có thể giúp tôi không? (ban koh te yoop toy khawm?)
I'm looking for... - Tôi đang tìm... (toy dang tim...)
Vietnamese has a number of sounds that are not found in English. Here are a few examples:
The "ng" and "ngh" sounds at the beginning of words. For instance, "ngày" (day) is pronounced something like "ngai".
The "ư" and "ơ" vowels do not have direct equivalents in English. "ư" is similar to the English "uh" sound but with rounded lips, while "ơ" is similar to the English "uh" sound but with unrounded lips.
The "đ" sound, which is similar to the English "d" but pronounced further forward in the mouth.
