120+ Core Vietnamese Words and Phrases for Travelers

If you’re traveling to Vietnam, a handy list of Vietnamese words and phrases is the best thing you can “pack” in your luggage. If nothing else, knowing a few words in Vietnamese helps you connect with the place a bit more. Besides, the smiles you’ll get from the locals are worth the effort of building a basic vocabulary.

Now it all comes down to the words you’re going to learn. Putting up the work to learn is commendable, but not all Vietnamese words are equally important for a traveler. If you want to make the most of what you’re learning, it’s important to focus on basic, high-frequency words that are more likely to pop up in small talk and daily conversations. So here’s a list of core Vietnamese words and phrases any traveler should know.

The most common Vietnamese words

Studies have shown that knowing as little as 100 words in Vietnamese will help you comprehend 50% of any communication in Vietnamese. This is why we are going to focus on the most common Vietnamese words first. These everyday words are the ones you’ll probably use the most in your daily conversations while in Vietnam.

• easy — dễ
• hard — cứng
• good — tốt
• bad — tồi tệ
• near — gần
• yes — vâng
• no — không
• (to) have — có
• (I) use — (tôi) dùng
• (to) go — đi
• (to) come — đến
• (to) laugh — cười to
• (to) make — làm
• (I) like — (tôi) thích
• (to) want — muốn
• (to) take — cầm
• (to) see — nhìn thấy
• far — xa
• small — nhỏ
• big — to
• beautiful — đẹp
• ugly — xấu
• week — tuần
• year — năm
• today — hôm nay
• tomorrow — ngày mai
• yesterday — hôm qua
• hour — giờ
• minute — phút
• time — thời gian
• Monday — thứ hai
• Tuesday — thứ ba
• Wednesday — thứ tư
• Thursday — thứ năm
• Friday — thứ sáu
• Saturday — thứ bẩy
• Sunday — chủ nhật
• one — một
• two — hai
• three — ba
• four — bốn
• five — năm
• six — sáu
• seven — bảy
• eight — tám
• nine — chín
• ten — mười
• what — cái gì
• where — ở đâu
• who — ai

The most common Vietnamese phrases and greetings

Greetings and other common phrases are just as important for your Vietnamese adventure. Using the right courtesy phrases and greetings leads to more fun interactions and helps to break the cultural ice. Besides, simple Vietnamese phrases like ‘good morning’, ‘how are you’ or ‘you’re welcome’ are the most efficient way to look confident and feel like you could carry an entire conversation in Vietnamese any day now.

• Good morning! — Chào chị!
• Good afternoon! — Chào buổi chiều!
• Good evening! — Chào buổi tối!
• Good night! — Chúc ngủ ngon!
• Hello! — Xin chào!
• How are you? — Khỏe không?
• Very good, thank you. — Được rồi, cảm ơn cô.
• What is your name? — Tên bạn là gì?
• My name is_____  — Tên tôi là _____.
• Nice to meet you. — Rất vui được gặp bạn.
• Please. — Làm ơn.
• Thank you. — Cảm ơn.
• Thank you very much. — Cảm ơn rất nhiều.
• Great. — Tốt quá.
• I’m sorry. — Tôi xin lỗi.
• You’re welcome. — Không có gì.
• Excuse me. — Xin lỗi cho tôi hỏi.
• No problem. — Không vấn đề gì.
• Speak slowly. — Nói chậm thôi.
• Where are you from? — Bạn từ đâu đến?
• What time is it? — Mấy giờ rồi?
• Can you help me? — Bạn có thể giúp tôi chứ?
• How much does it cost? — Giá bao nhiêu?
• Goodbye! — Hẹn gặp lại nhé!

Being a tonal language makes Vietnamese hard to pronounce for some of us. If you need help with this, here’s a short video to help you learn how to pronounce some of the above-mentioned phrases:

However, if you want more, you can always download the Mondly app to learn Vietnamese pronunciation directly from native speakers.

Vietnamese words and phrases related to food and drink

Whether you’re a foodie or not, adding a bit of “flavor” to your Vietnamese vocabulary will surely come in handy if you’re eating out. After all, food is an essential part of any trip. You don’t just visit a new country; you also taste it. Wouldn’t you agree?

• water — nước
• tea — trà
• coffee — cà phê
• juice — nước ép
• wine — rượu
• beer — bia
• alcohol — rượu
• chicken — món gà ạ
• fish — cá
• soup — xúp
• salad — món rau trộn
• sandwich — bánh mỳ kẹp
• pie — bánh nướng nhân ngọt
• bread — bánh mì
• dessert — món tráng miệng
• cake — bánh ngọt
• breakfast — bữa sáng
• lunch — bữa trưa
• dinner — bữa tối
• salt — muối
• sugar — đường
• pepper — hạt tiêu
• no sugar — không đường
• I have a reservation. My name is _____. — Tôi có đặt trước. Tên tôi là_____.
• What would you recommend? — Bạn có thể giới thiệu cho tôi món gì?
• I’d like something without meat. — Tôi muốn một cái gì đó với thịt.

Vietnamese words related to body and health

The names of the body parts in Vietnamese are some of the most common and useful words you can learn. Whether you are at the doctor’s office, in a clothing store or training for a scuba diving session, various parts of the body can pop up in conversation more often than you’d imagine.

• head — đầu
• hair — tóc
• neck — cổ
• chest — ngực
• arm — cánh tay
• finger — ngón tay
• foot — bàn chân
• face — khuôn mặt
• eye — mắt
• hand — bàn tay
• nose — mũi
• mouth — miệng
• leg — chân
• knee — đầu gối
• disease — bệnh
• allergy — dị ứng
• fever — sốt
• pain — đau
• medicine — y khoa
• pharmacy — dược
• I feel sick. — Tôi cảm thấy say.
• Can you help me? — Bạn có thể giúp tôi chứ?
• Where is the hospital? — Bệnh viện ở đâu?
• Please call a doctor. — Xin gọi bác sỹ.

Vietnamese words related to transportation and places

Do you need to go somewhere? It’s best if you know the Vietnamese words for means of transportation and places you may want to go to. This way, you’ll be able to prevent difficult situations where locals cannot understand what you are trying to say.

• airplane — máy bay
• train — tàu hỏa
• taxi — tắc xi
• car — ô tô
• bus — xe buýt
• ticket — vé
• restaurant — nhà hàng
• hotel — khách sạn
• airport — sân bay
• train station — nhà ga
• market — chợ

Useful Vietnamese phrases for hotel stays

If you need a place to crash, this crash course in Vietnamese phrases for common conversations in relation to hotel stays will come in handy. Learn these phrases today and make Vietnamese-speaking friends tomorrow!

• I have booked a room. — Tôi đã đặt trước một phòng.
• The key for room _____, please. — Cho tôi chìa khóa phòng _____.
• This room is too noisy. — Phòng này ồn quá.
• When is check-out time? — Giờ trả phòng là mấy giờ?
• Thank you for your help. — Cảm ơn sự giúp đỡ của bạn.
• How was your stay with us? — Anh cảm thấy ở khách sạn chúng tôi thế nào?
• Here is your bill, please look it over. — Hóa đơn của anh đây, phiền anh xem lại.

That’s it! You are now officially ready to embark on an unforgettable trip to Vietnam. Don’t forget that practice makes perfect.

---

From 0 to conversational in Vietnamese

Do you want to go beyond basics and speak Vietnamese fluently? Try Mondly, the award-winning language app that is serious about making learning Vietnamese fun.

Instead of tiring yourself for hours with inch-thick textbooks, slip a 10-minute Mondly lesson into your routine and make learning a breeze. You will learn Vietnamese naturally using:

• practical topics;
• hands-on, interactive language lessons;
• intelligent suggestions and instant feedback on pronunciation;
• crystal-clear audios of native speakers;
• real-life conversations and so much more.

Start using Mondly for free on your computer or download the app and learn Vietnamese anytime, anywhere.