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:
Tôi ăn cơm. (I eat rice.)

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:
Tôi ăn cơm hôm qua. (I ate rice yesterday.)
Tôi sẽ ăn cơm. (I will eat rice.)
Tôi đang ăn cơm. (I am eating rice.)

Classifiers

Classifiers are used before nouns when counting or specifying quantity.

Example:
một cái bàn (one classifier table)

Yes/No Questions

Add không at the end of a statement to form a yes/no question.

Example:
Bạn ăn cơm không? (Do you eat rice?)

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

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