How To Say Hello In Vietnamese: 10 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Say Hello in Vietnamese PDF download Download Article Co-authored by Nguyen Huyen Trang and Jennifer Mueller, JD

Last Updated: February 24, 2025 Fact Checked

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  • The Basic Hello
    • |
  • Additional Greetings
    • |
  • Video
    • |
  • Q&A
    • |
  • Warnings
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This article was co-authored by Nguyen Huyen Trang and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD. Nguyen Huyen Trang is a native Vietnamese Speaker, translator and international project manager. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 273,071 times.

The Vietnamese word "chào" means "hello" when translated into English, but you generally shouldn't use "chào" on its own when greeting someone in Vietnamese. The language has various rules about greeting others based on age, gender, and familiarity, so you'll need to implement those rules to speak a proper greeting.

Steps

Part 1 Part 1 of 2:

The Basic Hello

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  1. Step 1 Say "xin chào" as a general greeting. 1 Say "xin chào" as a general greeting. If you only learn one Vietnamese greeting, "xin chào" would likely be the best greeting to choose.
    • Pronounce "xin chào" as: sin jow
    • The word "chào" means "hello" in English, but you would rarely use it alone. Typically, you would need to follow the term with another word based on the age, gender, and familiarity of the other person.
    • Adding "xin" to the front of "chào" makes the phrase more polite. Native Vietnamese speakers would typically reserve this for someone who is older or admired, but non-native speakers can use this phrasing as a polite way to say "hello" to anyone when the correct ending phrase is unknown.
  2. Step 2 Use "chào bạn" when you're close. 2 Use "chào bạn" when you're close. If you're close in age to someone, the most accurate way to say "hello" would be "chào bạn."[1]
    • Pronounce "chào bạn" as: jow bahn
    • The word "chào" means "hello" in English, and "bạn" is an informal way to say "you." Since it's an informal version of the word "you," however, avoid using it when addressing elders or others you need to show respect to.
    • This phrase would be appropriate for both males and females. You can also use this phrase to say "hello" to someone you're on familiar terms with, regardless of age or gender.
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  3. Step 3 Opt for "chào anh" or "chào chị" when speaking to elders. 3 Opt for "chào anh" or "chào chị" when speaking to elders. If the other person is an older male, use "chào anh." If the other person is an older female, use "chào chị."[2]
    • Pronounce "chào anh" as: jow ahn
    • Pronounce "chào chị" as: jow jee
    • The term "ahn" is a polite way to say "you" when the listener is male. Similarly, the term "chị" is a polite way to say "you" when the listener is female.
    • Note that you would rarely use these greetings for someone who is younger or approximately the same age as you.
  4. Step 4 Switch to "chào em" for younger people. 4 Switch to "chào em" for younger people. If you're speaking to someone notably younger than you, the most appropriate greeting would be "chào em."[3]
    • Pronounce "chào em" as: jow ehm
    • Use this greeting regardless of whether the other person is male or female.
    • Do not use this greeting is someone is older or approximately the same age as you.
  5. Step 5 Address someone by name when appropriate. 5 Address someone by name when appropriate. If you're on familiar terms with someone, you can follow the "chào" greeting with that person's name.[4]
    • If the other person is close in age or very familiar to you, you can omit the "you" portion of the greeting and use only the name. On the other hand, if you are not very familiar with the other person or if the other person is older or younger, you may still need to you the appropriate "you" pronoun.
    • For example, if you're speaking to a close friend named Hien, you could simply greet that individual with "chào Hien." If Hien is an older female, you would need to say, "chào chị Hien." If she were a younger female, you would need to say, "chào em Hien."
    • Also note that you should always use the other person's given name, not his or her family surname. This is true regardless of age, gender, or familiarity.
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Part 2 Part 2 of 2:

Additional Greetings

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  1. Step 1 Answer the phone with "Á-lô." 1 Answer the phone with "Á-lô." When you answer the phone, the most normal way to greet the person on the other end is with "Á-lô!"[5]
    • Pronounce "Á-lô" as: ah-loh
    • This greeting developed before caller identification services were available, so there was no way of knowing who the speaker might be when you answered the phone. As a result, the "you" pronouns are not often used in conjunction with this phrase.
    • While this greeting is very appropriate for the phone, you should not use it when greeting someone face-to-face.
  2. Step 2 Learn the various time-of-day greetings. 2 Learn the various time-of-day greetings. While it's fairly uncommon to vary the greeting based on the time of day, you may encounter such greetings on occasion.[6]
    • These greetings are:
      • Good morning: "chào buổi sáng" (jow booh-ee shang)
      • Good afternoon: "chào buổi chiều" (jow booh-ee jeeh-oo)
      • Good evening: "chào buổi tối" (jow booh-ee doy
    • In most situations, you won't need to use any of these greetings. A simple "chào" followed by the appropriate pronoun will suffice.
    • If someone speaks one of these greetings to you first, however, it would be appropriate to return it.
  3. Step 3 Ask "khỏe không?" 3 Ask "khỏe không?" Immediately following the initial "hello," you can ask "how are you" by saying "khỏe không?"[7]
    • Pronounce "khỏe không" as: kweah kohng
    • Translated literally, you're asking the other person "healthy or not?" You can use this phrase on its own, but it would be more appropriate to add the most fitting "you" pronoun to the front of the phrase based on age and gender: "bạn" for someone close in age, "anh" for an older male, "chị" for an older female, and "em" for someone younger.
      • For example, you would ask an older male "anh khỏe không?"
  4. Step 4 Respond to inquiries about your health. 4 Respond to inquiries about your health. When someone asks you "khỏe không?," there are several ways to reply. A good general response would be "Khoẻ, cảm ơn."[8]
    • Pronounce "Khoẻ, cảm ơn" as: kweah, gam uhhn
    • When translated into English, this response means "I'm healthy, thanks."
    • Following your response, you can return the same question word for word ("khỏe không?") or say "Ban thi sao?," which means, "And you?"
      • Pronounce "ban thi sao" as: ban ty sao
  5. Step 5 Welcome someone with "chào mừng." 5 Welcome someone with "chào mừng." If you're greeting someone who has come to your home, workplace, dwelling, or event, you could greet that individual by saying "chào mừng," which is the Vietnamese equivalent of "welcome."[9]
    • Pronounce "chào mừng" as: jow munn
    • The "mừng" portion of this phrase means "welcome," so in essence, you're saying "good welcome."
    • You should also follow this greeting with the appropriate "you" pronoun: "bạn" for someone close in age, "anh" for an older male, "chị" for an older female, and "em" for someone younger.
      • For example, you would say to someone you're age, "chào mừng bạn."
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Community Q&A

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  • Question How do I say "What's your name?" in Vietnamese? Thành Vietfones Thành Vietfones Community Answer You can ask ' tên của bạn là gì? ' or just ' bạn tên gì?'. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 4 Helpful 26
  • Question I would like to say "Welcome" to everyone arriving, as if addressing the whole Vietnamese Community. How would I say this? Community Answer Community Answer Vietnamese do not just say "welcome." They would greet everyone formally, as in, "Xin chào tất cả quý vị!" (quý vị = ladies and gentlemen) . Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 5 Helpful 10
  • Question How do I say "good bye" in Vietnamese? Thành Vietfones Thành Vietfones Community Answer Goodbye is 'Tạm biệt'. You can use Google Translate to learn the pronunciation. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 7 Helpful 21
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Warnings

  • Vietnamese is a tonal language, so proper pronunciation is especially important. Different phrases can have different meanings when pronounced in certain ways. Listen to native speakers or watch instructional videos and practice these greetings before you need to use them. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
  • Show respect by using the right body language. During the greeting, you should generally shake with both hands and slightly bow your head. If the other individual does not extend his or her hand, simply bow your head to that person. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
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References

  1. ↑ https://yourvietnamese.com/learn-vietnamese/say-hello-and-goodbye-in-vietnamese/
  2. ↑ https://omniglot.com/language/phrases/vietnamese.php
  3. ↑ https://yourvietnamese.com/learn-vietnamese/say-hello-and-goodbye-in-vietnamese/
  4. ↑ https://yourvietnamese.com/learn-vietnamese/say-hello-and-goodbye-in-vietnamese/
  5. ↑ https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/vietnamese.php
  6. ↑ https://yourvietnamese.com/learn-vietnamese/say-hello-and-goodbye-in-vietnamese/
  7. ↑ https://mylanguages.org/vietnamese_phrases.php
  8. ↑ https://mylanguages.org/vietnamese_phrases.php
  9. ↑ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english-vietnamese/welcome

About This Article

NT Co-authored by: Nguyen Huyen Trang Native Vietnamese Speaker This article was co-authored by Nguyen Huyen Trang and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD. Nguyen Huyen Trang is a native Vietnamese Speaker, translator and international project manager. This article has been viewed 273,071 times. 14 votes - 100% Co-authors: 15 Updated: February 24, 2025 Views: 273,071 Categories: Greeting People in Other Languages Article SummaryX

To say “Hello” in Vietnamese, start with the basic greeting "Xin chào" which is pronounced “sin jow.” If the person you’re greeting is about the same age as you, say "Chào bạn,” pronounced “jow bahn.” To say “Hello” to your elders, use the phrase "Chào anh" for men or "Chào chị” for women, which sound like “jow ahn” and “jow jee.” Alternatively, when greeting someone younger than you, you can say "Chào em,” which is pronounced “jow ehm.” For additional Vietnamese greetings, like how to answer the phone, keep reading! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. NT Co-authored by: Nguyen Huyen Trang Native Vietnamese Speaker Co-authors: 15 Updated: February 24, 2025 Views: 273,071 100% of readers found this article helpful. 14 votes - 100% Click a star to add your vote Hatty Bankes

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