Catalog / Vietnamese Language Essentials Cheatsheet
Vietnamese Language Essentials Cheatsheet
A quick reference guide to the Vietnamese language, covering pronunciation, basic grammar, common phrases, and essential vocabulary to help you get started.
Pronunciation and Tones
Vowels
a |
ah, as in 'father' |
ă |
shorter 'ah' sound |
â |
as in 'but' |
e |
eh, as in 'bed' |
ê |
ay, as in 'day' |
i/y |
ee, as in 'see' |
o |
oh, as in 'go' |
ô |
longer 'oh' sound |
ơ |
uh, as in 'heard' |
u |
oo, as in 'moon' |
ư |
similar to 'uh', but more closed |
Consonants
ch |
as in 'church' |
đ |
similar to 'th' in 'this' |
gi |
similar to 'y' in 'yes' (Northern accent) |
kh |
guttural 'h' sound, like in 'Bach' |
ng |
as in 'sing' |
nh |
similar to 'ny' in 'canyon' |
ph |
as in 'phone' |
th |
as in 'thin' |
tr |
combination of 't' and 'r' sounds |
Tones
Level Tone |
No mark. Pronounced at a neutral pitch. (má) |
Rising Tone |
Acute accent ('). Rises in pitch. (mạ) |
Falling Tone |
Grave accent (`). Falls in pitch. (mà) |
Hook Above Tone |
Hook above (̉). Starts mid-level, then rises slightly. (mả) |
Tilde Tone |
Tilde (~). Starts low, falls, then rises. (mã) |
Heavy Tone |
Dot below (.). Short and low. (mạ) |
Basic Grammar
Word Order
Vietnamese follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) word order. Example: |
Pronouns
Tôi |
I |
Bạn |
You |
Anh/Chị |
He/She (formal) |
Ông/Bà |
Grandfather/Grandmother (formal) |
Chúng tôi |
We |
Các bạn |
You (plural) |
Họ |
They |
Tenses
Vietnamese does not have verb conjugations for tenses. Tense is indicated by adverbs of time or context. Examples: |
Classifiers
Classifiers are used before nouns when counting or specifying quantity. Example: |
Yes/No Questions
Add Example: |
Common Phrases
Greetings and Introductions
Xin chào |
Hello |
Chào bạn |
Hello (to a friend/peer) |
Chào anh/chị |
Hello (to someone older) |
Tôi là... |
I am... |
Rất vui được gặp bạn |
Nice to meet you |
Basic Interactions
Cảm ơn |
Thank you |
Không có gì |
You're welcome |
Xin lỗi |
Sorry/Excuse me |
Vâng |
Yes |
Không |
No |
Không biết |
I don't know |
Asking for Help
Bạn có thể giúp tôi không? |
Can you help me? |
Tôi cần giúp đỡ |
I need help |
Ở đâu...? |
Where is...? |
Cái này là cái gì? |
What is this? |
Eating Out
Tôi muốn... |
I want... |
Cho tôi thực đơn |
Menu, please |
Bao nhiêu tiền? |
How much? |
Ngon quá! |
Delicious! |
Tính tiền |
Check, please |
Essential Vocabulary
Numbers
Một |
One |
Hai |
Two |
Ba |
Three |
Bốn |
Four |
Năm |
Five |
Sáu |
Six |
Bảy |
Seven |
Tám |
Eight |
Chín |
Nine |
Mười |
Ten |
Food and Drink
Cơm |
Rice |
Thịt |
Meat |
Cá |
Fish |
Rau |
Vegetables |
Nước |
Water |
Bia |
Beer |
Cà phê |
Coffee |
Trà |
Tea |
Places
Nhà |
House |
Đường |
Street |
Chợ |
Market |
Trường học |
School |
Bệnh viện |
Hospital |
Sân bay |
Airport |
Time
Ngày |
Day |
Đêm |
Night |
Tuần |
Week |
Tháng |
Month |
Năm |
Year |
Hôm nay |
Today |
Hôm qua |
Yesterday |
Ngày mai |
Tomorrow |