Plan Your Trip
Basic Vietnamese Phrases for Hanoi
You don't need fluency — a handful of phrases, said with a genuine effort, goes further in Hanoi than in almost any other Southeast Asian capital, and locals are consistently warm about visitors trying.
A quick note on tones
Vietnamese is a tonal language — the same syllable can mean different things depending on pitch. This trips up almost every visitor at first, and that's completely fine; locals are generally patient with mispronunciation and will usually understand from context, especially in tourist-facing situations. Don't let the tone system stop you from trying.
Greetings and basics
- Xin chào (sin chow) — hello, the safe all-purpose greeting.
- Cảm ơn (gam uhn) — thank you.
- Xin lỗi (sin loy) — sorry / excuse me.
- Vâng (vuhng) — yes (polite); Không (khom) — no.
- Tạm biệt (tam byet) — goodbye.
Ordering food and drink
- Cho tôi... (cho toy) — "give me..." / "I'd like...", the standard way to order.
- Bao nhiêu tiền? (bow nyew tyen) — how much does it cost?
- Ngon (ngon) — delicious — a nice thing to say to a street food vendor.
- Không cay (khom kai) — not spicy, useful if you're sensitive to chilli.
Numbers (useful for prices and bargaining)
Một (1), hai (2), ba (3), bốn (4), năm (5), sáu (6), bảy (7), tám (8), chín (9), mười (10). Vietnamese currency involves large numbers (thousands of dong for everyday items), so recognising a few of these — or just pointing at a price written down — covers most situations.
Getting around
- Ở đâu? (uh dow) — where is...?
- Đi thẳng (dee thang) — go straight.
- Rẻ hơn được không? (zeh hun duk khom) — can it be cheaper? — useful at markets, see our shopping guide for the fuller bargaining picture.