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Vietnamese Day One Phrases

Greet, thank, ask the price, get by. 12+ essential phrases with phonetic pronunciation and 7 full conversation flows for day one situations in Vietnam.

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Essential Day One Phrases in Vietnamese

Sorted by usefulness. Phonetic pronunciation included.

Anh

ahn

English

bật

bat

turn on

biệt

bee-et

separate -- goodbye = temporary separation

cái

kai

classifier (object)

cảm

kuhm

feel / gratitude

chào

chow

greet / hello

chậm

chahm

slow

chưa

chuh-ah

yet? (particle)

cũng

koong

also

đêm

dem

night(s)

đi thẳng

dee tahng

go straight

đồ

doh

clothes / things

...and 50 more day one phrases in the app.

Sample: Asking for help finding something

A real day one conversation in Vietnamese -- both sides of the interaction.

You

xin lỗi

sin loy

Excuse me!

Them

zah koh zee

The person stops and says 'yes?'

dạ, có chuyện gì không

zah koh khooyayn zee kohng

Yes, what is it?

You

nhà vệ sinh ở đâu

nyah veh sin uh uh dow

Where is the bathroom?

Them

dee dee tahng kweh-oh ben fai

The person points the way

đi thẳng, quẹo phải

dee dee tahng kweh-oh ben fai

Go straight, then turn right

You

xa không

sa kohng

Is it far?

Them

guhn lahm nahm foot

The person says it's very close, about 5 minutes

gần lắm, năm phút thôi

guhn lahm nahm muh-ee toy

Very close, about 5 minutes

7 day one conversations available in the app.

FAQ

What happens when they answer back at the day one in Vietnam?

That's the hard part -- and exactly what TalkThere prepares you for. Each of the 7 day one conversations shows you the full back-and-forth: what you say, what they'll likely respond, and how to keep going. You won't freeze when they answer in Vietnamese.

Is this enough to get by at a day one in Vietnam?

Yes. These are the 12+ phrases that actually come up in real day one interactions -- not textbook phrases. Sorted by how often you'll need them, with pronunciation you can read at a glance.

Do I need to learn Vietnamese script to use this?

No. Every Vietnamese phrase has phonetic pronunciation written in plain English. You read it like English and say it out loud. The script is there for reference, but you don't need it.

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More Vietnamese Phrases

Day One Phrases in Other Languages