You do not need to be fluent to travel well in Vietnam — you need the right handful of phrases for the situations you will actually be in. A little effort goes a long way: locals notice when a visitor tries, and a single well-placed cảm ơn often turns a transaction into a warm exchange. Here are the essentials, grouped by moment.
Greetings and politeness
- Xin chào — Hello (polite, works for anyone).
- Cảm ơn — Thank you.
- Không, cảm ơn — No, thank you.
- Xin lỗi — Sorry / excuse me.
- Dạ / Vâng — Yes (polite).
- Không — No.
- Tạm biệt — Goodbye.
For the full picture of how greetings change by age and relationship, see how to say hello in Vietnamese.
Eating and drinking
- Cho tôi... — Can I have... / I'd like...
- Cái này — this one (point and use it freely).
- Ngon quá! — Delicious!
- Không cay — not spicy.
- Tính tiền — the bill, please.
- Cà phê sữa đá — iced milk coffee (a must-try).
Prices and shopping
- Bao nhiêu tiền? — How much is it?
- Đắt quá! — Too expensive!
- Giảm giá được không? — Can you lower the price?
Knowing your numbers makes bargaining far easier — see how to count in Vietnamese.
Getting around
- ... ở đâu? — Where is...?
- Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu? — Where is the bathroom?
- Bao xa? — How far?
- Dừng ở đây — Stop here (handy in taxis and ride apps).
- Bên trái / bên phải — left / right.
When you need help
- Tôi không hiểu — I don't understand.
- Bạn nói tiếng Anh không? — Do you speak English?
- Nói chậm hơn được không? — Can you speak more slowly?
- Giúp tôi với! — Help me!
A few travel-smart tips
- Save these on your phone and screenshot the food section for menus.
- Pair phrases with a smile and a nod — warmth carries meaning here.
- Don't stress about perfect tones; context does a lot of the work, and people are forgiving with visitors.
Want these to actually stick before your trip? A few minutes a day beats cramming — our first-week plan shows how to build a tiny, repeatable habit, and Xinchaovi pairs every phrase with audio so you arrive sounding natural.