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March 03, 2025 00:30
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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
|
|
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 |