Greetings and Basic Phrases
Greetings are the starting point of any conversation. Being able to greet someone properly will set the tone for your interaction. Here are some common Vietnamese greetings and basic phrases:
– Xin chào – Hello
– Chào buổi sáng – Good morning
– Chào buổi chiều – Good afternoon
– Chào buổi tối – Good evening
– Tạm biệt – Goodbye
– Cảm ơn – Thank you
– Không có gì – You’re welcome
– Xin lỗi – Sorry
– Vâng / Dạ – Yes
– Không – No
– Làm ơn – Please
– Tôi tên là… – My name is…
– Bạn tên là gì? – What is your name?
– Tôi đến từ… – I am from…
– Bạn khỏe không? – How are you?
– Tôi khỏe, cảm ơn – I am fine, thank you
Common Verbs
Verbs are essential for forming sentences and expressing actions. Here are some common Vietnamese verbs that you should know:
– Ăn – To eat
– Uống – To drink
– Đi – To go
– Đến – To come
– Làm – To do/make
– Học – To study/learn
– Ngủ – To sleep
– Mua – To buy
– Bán – To sell
– Nói – To speak
– Nghe – To listen
– Đọc – To read
– Viết – To write
– Chơi – To play
– Yêu – To love
Common Nouns
Nouns are the building blocks of language, representing people, places, things, and ideas. Here are some essential Vietnamese nouns:
– Nhà – House
– Trường học – School
– Công ty – Company
– Bệnh viện – Hospital
– Chợ – Market
– Siêu thị – Supermarket
– Nhà hàng – Restaurant
– Xe – Vehicle (car, bike, etc.)
– Xe buýt – Bus
– Xe đạp – Bicycle
– Xe máy – Motorbike
– Sách – Book
– Bút – Pen
– Giấy – Paper
– Điện thoại – Phone
– Máy tính – Computer
– Tiền – Money
– Cửa – Door
– Cửa sổ – Window
– Giường – Bed
– Bàn – Table
– Ghế – Chair
Common Adjectives
Adjectives help you describe nouns and provide more detail in your sentences. Here are some commonly used Vietnamese adjectives:
– Đẹp – Beautiful
– Xấu – Ugly
– To – Big
– Nhỏ – Small
– Cao – Tall
– Thấp – Short (in height)
– Dài – Long
– Ngắn – Short (in length)
– Mới – New
– Cũ – Old
– Nhanh – Fast
– Chậm – Slow
– Nóng – Hot
– Lạnh – Cold
– Khó – Difficult
– Dễ – Easy
– Vui – Happy
– Buồn – Sad
– Mệt – Tired
– Khỏe – Healthy
Useful Expressions
Expressions and phrases are essential for conveying thoughts and emotions. Here are some useful Vietnamese expressions:
– Tôi không hiểu – I don’t understand
– Bạn có thể nói chậm hơn không? – Can you speak more slowly?
– Làm ơn nhắc lại – Please repeat
– Tôi cần giúp đỡ – I need help
– Bao nhiêu tiền? – How much is it?
– Ở đâu? – Where?
– Khi nào? – When?
– Tại sao? – Why?
– Cái gì? – What?
– Như thế nào? – How?
– Tôi thích… – I like…
– Tôi không thích… – I don’t like…
– Tôi muốn… – I want…
– Tôi không muốn… – I don’t want…
– Bạn có… không? – Do you have…?
– Tôi đói – I am hungry
– Tôi khát – I am thirsty
– Tôi mệt – I am tired
Numbers and Counting
Numbers are essential for everyday activities such as shopping, telling time, and giving out your phone number. Here are the Vietnamese numbers from 1 to 20, along with some multiples of ten:
– Một – One
– Hai – Two
– Ba – Three
– Bốn – Four
– Năm – Five
– Sáu – Six
– Bảy – Seven
– Tám – Eight
– Chín – Nine
– Mười – Ten
– Mười một – Eleven
– Mười hai – Twelve
– Mười ba – Thirteen
– Mười bốn – Fourteen
– Mười lăm – Fifteen
– Mười sáu – Sixteen
– Mười bảy – Seventeen
– Mười tám – Eighteen
– Mười chín – Nineteen
– Hai mươi – Twenty
– Ba mươi – Thirty
– Bốn mươi – Forty
– Năm mươi – Fifty
– Sáu mươi – Sixty
– Bảy mươi – Seventy
– Tám mươi – Eighty
– Chín mươi – Ninety
– Một trăm – One hundred
Days of the Week and Months
Knowing the days of the week and months of the year is essential for scheduling and planning. Here are the Vietnamese days of the week and months:
Days of the Week
– Thứ hai – Monday
– Thứ ba – Tuesday
– Thứ tư – Wednesday
– Thứ năm – Thursday
– Thứ sáu – Friday
– Thứ bảy – Saturday
– Chủ nhật – Sunday
Months of the Year
– Tháng một – January
– Tháng hai – February
– Tháng ba – March
– Tháng tư – April
– Tháng năm – May
– Tháng sáu – June
– Tháng bảy – July
– Tháng tám – August
– Tháng chín – September
– Tháng mười – October
– Tháng mười một – November
– Tháng mười hai – December
Colors
Colors are often used in descriptions. Here are some common colors in Vietnamese:
– Đỏ – Red
– Xanh – Blue/Green (context-dependent)
– Vàng – Yellow
– Cam – Orange
– Tím – Purple
– Hồng – Pink
– Nâu – Brown
– Đen – Black
– Trắng – White
– Xám – Gray
Family Members
Family is an important part of Vietnamese culture. Here are some words related to family members:
– Bố / Ba / Cha – Father
– Mẹ / Má – Mother
– Anh – Older brother
– Chị – Older sister
– Em trai – Younger brother
– Em gái – Younger sister
– Ông – Grandfather
– Bà – Grandmother
– Con trai – Son
– Con gái – Daughter
Food and Drink
Food and drink are central to social interactions. Here are some common Vietnamese words related to food and drink:
– Cơm – Rice
– Phở – Noodle soup
– Bánh mì – Bread
– Thịt – Meat
– Cá – Fish
– Trái cây – Fruit
– Rau – Vegetables
– Nước – Water
– Trà – Tea
– Cà phê – Coffee
– Nước ngọt – Soft drink
Transportation
Getting around in a Vietnamese-speaking country will require some knowledge of transportation vocabulary:
– Xe buýt – Bus
– Xe đạp – Bicycle
– Xe máy – Motorbike
– Xe hơi – Car
– Tàu hỏa – Train
– Máy bay – Airplane
– Taxi – Taxi
– Đường – Road
– Cầu – Bridge
– Bến xe – Bus station
Shopping
Shopping is a common activity, and knowing the relevant vocabulary can make it easier:
– Chợ – Market
– Siêu thị – Supermarket
– Cửa hàng – Store
– Giá – Price
– Rẻ – Cheap
– Đắt – Expensive
– Giảm giá – Discount
– Tiền – Money
– Hóa đơn – Receipt
– Thẻ tín dụng – Credit card
Emotions and Feelings
Being able to express your emotions and feelings is important in any language. Here are some Vietnamese words for emotions and feelings:
– Vui – Happy
– Buồn – Sad
– Giận – Angry
– Sợ – Afraid
– Ngạc nhiên – Surprised
– Thất vọng – Disappointed
– Yêu – Love
– Ghét – Hate
– Mệt – Tired
– Khỏe – Healthy
Weather
Talking about the weather is a common conversation topic. Here are some Vietnamese words related to weather:
– Nắng – Sunny
– Mưa – Rainy
– Gió – Windy
– Lạnh – Cold
– Nóng – Hot
– Mát – Cool
– Âm u – Cloudy
– Bão – Storm
Time
Knowing how to tell time is essential. Here are some words related to time in Vietnamese:
– Giờ – Hour
– Phút – Minute
– Giây – Second
– Ngày – Day
– Tuần – Week
– Tháng – Month
– Năm – Year
– Sáng – Morning
– Chiều – Afternoon
– Tối – Evening
– Đêm – Night
Health
Talking about health is important, especially in emergencies. Here are some Vietnamese words related to health:
– Bác sĩ – Doctor
– Y tá – Nurse
– Bệnh viện – Hospital
– Thuốc – Medicine
– Đau – Pain
– Sốt – Fever
– Ho – Cough
– Cảm cúm – Flu
– Khám bệnh – Medical check-up
– Cấp cứu – Emergency
Directions
Knowing how to ask for and understand directions is very useful. Here are some Vietnamese words related to directions:
– Trái – Left
– Phải – Right
– Thẳng – Straight
– Gần – Near
– Xa – Far
– Đối diện – Opposite
– Bên cạnh – Next to
– Phía trước – In front of
– Phía sau – Behind
Conclusion
Reaching the A2 level in Vietnamese is a significant milestone. By familiarizing yourself with these essential words and phrases, you will be better equipped to handle everyday conversations and navigate through various situations. Remember that practice is key to language learning. Try to use these words in context, whether through speaking, writing, or even thinking in Vietnamese. The more you immerse yourself in the language, the more natural it will become. Chúc may mắn! (Good luck!)
