Vietnam Language & travel dictionary

Vietnamese (tiếng Việt) is the national and official language of Vietnam and is spoken by a large majority of the population. It is also one of the few languages ​​in Asia that uses the Latin alphabet instead of symbols. This makes it a lot easier to interpret street signs and even learn to speak in Vietnamese.

Do they also speak English in Vietnam?

In major cities and tourist areas in the south, communicating in English is becoming increasingly easy as Vietnam is becoming increasingly touristy. Due to high demand, the government has set up programs to improve English-language lessons in schools. However, if you plan to go to smaller cities or rural areas, it may be useful to know at least one Vietnamese basis.

In the south, where the inhabitants have often worked for the Americans in the past, knowledge of English is the best. Assume that most older Vietnamese cannot speak a word of English. Young people in particular can speak better English. Although some of them are shy towards foreigners, they will be happy to help you if you get lost and ask for directions. Some others would like to talk to you because that helps them improve their communication in the English language. Hotels, restaurants in tourist areas most Vietnamese also speak English.

Greetings in Vietnamese

How you greet and then speak to someone in Vietnam depends very much on their gender, and on their age and social status compared to yours. As a general rule of thumb, if you address a man as b, and a woman as b, you can be sure that you are not rude. If you find yourself in a conversation, formal or informal, with someone of your estimated age, you can use anh (for a man) and chi (for a woman).

Pronunciation

The difficulty of the Vietnamese language is in the pronunciation. It is a tonal language with single-syllable words. Each syllable can be pronounced at six different pitches: toneless, ascending, rapidly descending, slowly descending, floating or interrupted. Characters above the letters indicate the pitch. By varying the pitch a word can have six different meanings and an erroneous pronunciation quickly leads to confusion.

Travel Dictionary Dutch – Vietnamese

General talk

EnglishVietnameesPronunciation
HelloXin chàoXin-chao
ByeTạm biệtTam-biet
How are you?Bạn khỏe khôngBan-ko-khe-khong
Nice to meet youRất vui được gặp bạnRat-vui-duoc-gab-ban
Doing well, thanks/td>Cảm ơn, tôi khỏeKam-own, toi-khe
Do you speak English?Bạn có thể nói tiếng Anh không?Ban-ko-noi-duok-tien-eng-kong
What’s your name?Tên bạn bạn là gìTen-ban-la-zee
I’m from …Tôi đến từ…Toi-den-tu…
My name is…Tên tôi là…Ten-toi-la…
Do you understand?Bạn có hiểu không?Ban-ko-hiew-kong
I do not understandTôi không hiểuToi-kong-hiew
YesVângVang
NoKhôngKong
Help!Cứu!Kiu
Thank youCảm ơnKam-own
What?Cái gì?Kai-ge
How much?Bao nhiêu?Baow-nhiu
Which?Cái nào?Cai-now
Where?Ở đâu?Ow-dau
When?Khi nào?Khi-now
I do not like itTôi không thích nóToi-kong-thik-no
I like itTôi thích nóToi-thik-no

Food and drink

EnglishVietnamesePronunciation
FishKa
ShrimpsTômTom
ShellfishSo
RiceCơmKom
MeatThịtTheed
BeefThịt bòTheed-bo
ChickenThịt gàTheed-ga
EggTrứngTrung
DuckThịt vịtTheed-vid
PorkThịt lợnTheed-lon
LambThịt cừuTheed-kiu
SeafoodHải sảnHai-san
CoffeeCà phêCafé
TeaTràTraj
WaterNướcNuok
BreakfastĂn sángAn-sang
LunchĂn trưaAn-trua
DinerĂn tốiAn-toi
ChopsticksĐũaDua
ForkNĩaNia
KnifeDaoDaow
SpoonThìaThia
GlasCốcCoke
I’m fullTôi no rồiToi-no-roi
Very tasty!Rất ngon!Rat-ngon
Can I have the menu?Làm ơn cho tôi thực đơn?Lam-own-cho-toi-thuk-dern
Can I have the menu in English?Bạn có thực đơn bằng tiếng Anh không?Ban-ko-thuk-dern-bang-tieng-Anh-kong
May I have the bill?Làm ơn cho tôi hoá đơn?Lam-own-cho-toi-hoa-dern
RestaurantNhà hàngNha-hang

Ask for directions

EnglishVietnamesePronunciation
I no longer have gasTôi bị hết xăngToi-bi-het-xang
I am lost, please help meTôi bị lac, làm ơn giúpToi-bi-lak, lam-own-giup
Waar is ….?Ở đâu là…?Ow-dau-la
How far is it?Nó xa bao nhiêu?No-xa-baow-nhiew
Go straight aheadĐi thẳngDi-thang
LeftTráiTrai
RightPhảiPhai
It is an emergencyĐây là một trường hợp khẩn cấpday-la-mod-truong-hop-khan-cap
Where is the nearest police station?Đồn cảnh sát gần nhất ở đâu?Don-canh-sat-gan-nhat-ow-dau
Please help meLàm ơn giúp tôiLam-on-giup-toi
Where is the hospital?Bệnh viện ở đâu?Benh-vien-ow-dau
I need a doctor?Tôi cần một bác sĩToi-kan-mod-bac-si
Police stationĐồn cảnh sátDon-canh-sat
MarketChợCho
HotelKhách sạnKhach-san
ATMMáy rút tiềnMay-rud-tien
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