Pronounce “xin chào” as: sin jow The word “chào” means “hello” in English, but you would rarely use it alone. Typically, you would need to follow the term with another word based on the age, gender, and familiarity of the other person. Adding “xin” to the front of “chào” makes the phrase more polite. Native Vietnamese speakers would typically reserve this for someone who is older or admired, but non-native speakers can use this phrasing as a polite way to say “hello” to anyone when the correct ending phrase is unknown.
Pronounce “chào bạn” as: jow bahn The word “chào” means “hello” in English, and “bạn” is an informal way to say “you. " Since it’s an informal version of the word “you,” however, avoid using it when addressing elders or others you need to show respect to. This phrase would be appropriate for both males and females. You can also use this phrase to say “hello” to someone you’re on familiar terms with, regardless of age or gender.
Pronounce “chào anh” as: jow ahn Pronounce “chào chị” as: jow jee The term “ahn” is a polite way to say “you” when the listener is male. Similarly, the term “chị” is a polite way to say “you” when the listener is female. Note that you would rarely use these greetings for someone who is younger or approximately the same age as you.
Pronounce “chào em” as: jow ehm Use this greeting regardless of whether the other person is male or female. Do not use this greeting is someone is older or approximately the same age as you.
If the other person is close in age or very familiar to you, you can omit the “you” portion of the greeting and use only the name. On the other hand, if you are not very familiar with the other person or if the other person is older or younger, you may still need to you the appropriate “you” pronoun. For example, if you’re speaking to a close friend named Hien, you could simply greet that individual with “chào Hien. " If Hien is an older female, you would need to say, “chào chị Hien. " If she were a younger female, you would need to say, “chào em Hien. " Also note that you should always use the other person’s given name, not his or her family surname. This is true regardless of age, gender, or familiarity.
Pronounce “Á-lô” as: ah-loh This greeting developed before caller identification services were available, so there was no way of knowing who the speaker might be when you answered the phone. As a result, the “you” pronouns are not often used in conjunction with this phrase. While this greeting is very appropriate for the phone, you should not use it when greeting someone face-to-face.
These greetings are: Good morning: “chào buổi sáng” (jow booh-ee shang) Good afternoon: “chào buổi chiều” (jow booh-ee jeeh-oo) Good evening: “chào buổi tối” (jow booh-ee doy In most situations, you won’t need to use any of these greetings. A simple “chào” followed by the appropriate pronoun will suffice. If someone speaks one of these greetings to you first, however, it would be appropriate to return it.
Pronounce “khỏe không” as: kweah kohng Translated literally, you’re asking the other person “healthy or not?” You can use this phrase on its own, but it would be more appropriate to add the most fitting “you” pronoun to the front of the phrase based on age and gender: “bạn” for someone close in age, “anh” for an older male, “chị” for an older female, and “em” for someone younger. For example, you would ask an older male “anh khỏe không?”
Pronounce “Khoẻ, cảm ơn” as: kweah, gam uhhn When translated into English, this response means “I’m healthy, thanks. " Following your response, you can return the same question word for word (“khỏe không?”) or say “Ban thi sao?,” which means, “And you?” Pronounce “ban thi sao” as: ban ty sao
Pronounce “chào mừng” as: jow munn The “mừng” portion of this phrase means “welcome,” so in essence, you’re saying “good welcome. " You should also follow this greeting with the appropriate “you” pronoun: “bạn” for someone close in age, “anh” for an older male, “chị” for an older female, and “em” for someone younger. For example, you would say to someone you’re age, “chào mừng bạn. "
