Vietnamese for Beginners

Learn Vietnamese from zero with greetings, polite requests, and a first conversation.

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Vietnamese tutor helping a beginner practice a greeting

Phonetic hints are rough English-friendly cues, not IPA. Use audio and the written Vietnamese alongside them.

Begin with a greeting

These openings are useful with new people, friends, and fellow learners.

Xin chào.

Approx. pronunciation: sin chow

Hello.

Chào bạn.

Approx. pronunciation: chow ban

Hi. (friendly)

Bạn khỏe không?

Approx. pronunciation: ban kwe khong

How are you?

Choose a respectful voice

Here, relationship words act as pronouns, so a little context matters.

Use tôi for a neutral or formal “I”, and mình for a friendly “I” when the relationship feels equal or familiar. You will also hear anh and chị used for a slightly older man or woman, and em for someone younger; the best choice depends on age, setting, and regional habit.

Cảm ơn means thank you. Add ạ at the end of a sentence to make it more respectful, especially with an older person or in a service interaction. Dạ is also a polite response common in Southern Vietnamese, but you do not need it at the end of every sentence.

Add the courtesy words

A greeting becomes a real interaction when you can thank someone, apologize, or make a gentle request.

Cảm ơn bạn.

Approx. pronunciation: gahm uhn ban

Thank you.

Xin lỗi.

Approx. pronunciation: sin loy

Sorry. / Excuse me.

Làm ơn.

Approx. pronunciation: lahm uhn

Please. (before a request)

Try your first Vietnamese exchange

Read this slowly, then replace the last line with a Vietnamese phrase you actually need today.

Beginner practicing a polite introduction

You Xin chào! Bạn khỏe không? Hello! How are you?

New friend Mình khỏe, cảm ơn bạn. I’m well, thank you.

You Rất vui được gặp bạn. Nice to meet you.

New friend Mình cũng vậy. Me too. / Same here.

Practice without guessing

A short, repeatable routine is more useful than memorizing a long list.

Spend five minutes saying one greeting, one courtesy phrase, and one request aloud. Listen to a native speaker from the region you are learning, then record yourself and compare the rhythm rather than chasing an English spelling. There are six tone categories in the standard teaching model, and tone marks matter, so keep listening closely.

If someone does not understand, smile, slow down, and show the written phrase. Clear intent and a willingness to try are better beginner goals than an exaggerated accent.