Tiếng Việt, more widely known as Vietnamese, is Vietnam’s official language and ranks among the world’s most spoken vernaculars.
Approximately 90 million people speak Vietnamese. Such is its reach, in fact, that the Czech Republic has recognised Tiếng Việt as a minority language. Tiếng Việt is part of the Mon-Khmer language family spoken across, amongst others, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Read more: A tribute to Ayutthaya, Thailand’s fallen fulcrum.
Let us begin:
| English | Tiếng Việt / Vietnamese |
| Hello | Jow (informal / See jow (formal) |
| How are you? | Kweah kohng? |
| Fine | Thoy kweah |
| Thank you (very much) | Cam uhhn (nyeeoh) |
| Please | Lam uhhn |
| You’re welcome | Kohng sao doh |
| Yes | Vuhng / Ya’a |
| No | Kohng |
| Goodbye | Jow |
| Good morning | Chao bwu-ee sang |
| Good afternoon | Chao bwu-ee chieu |
| Good evening | Chao boo-ee toi |
| Good night | Chuc ngu ngon |
| What’s your name? | Goh theyn la yi? |
| My name is (Thomm) | Thoye theyn la (Thomm) |
| I’m from (Dili) | Toi đen tu (Dili) |
| Where are you going? | Ban đi đâu |
| I don’t know | Toi khong biet |
| I am going to … | Toi sair … |
| Where is (the temple)? | (Chua) oh dowh? |
| Over there | Dang kia |
| How far? | Bao xa? |
| How long? | Bao lao? |
| Airport | Son bye |
| Hotel | Khách san |
| Restaurant | Quan ahn |
| Bar | Thanh |
| Temple | Chua |
| Cheap | Reah uh |
| Expensive | Daht |
| Very | Het suc |
| Do you have (beer)? | Ban có (bia) không? |
| I want / would like (beer) | Toi muốn (bia) |
| Beer | Bia |
| Water | Neu-uk |
| Cigarettes | Thuốc lá |
| Lighter | Chai bat loo-uh |
| A room | Phoung |
| Ticket | Vei |
| Food | Doe arnh |
| Drink | Oo-ong |
| Chicken | Teet gah |
| Fish | Ca |
| Rice | Guhm / Gah-ow |
| Noodles | Mee |
| What’s the score? | Tỷ số là bao nhiêu? |
| I like your nose | Tôi thich cai mui của bạn |
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