In English, the phrase “thank you” has the person you are addressing built in – “you. ” In Vietnamese, however, you’ll also need to add a word to indicate the person you are addressing.
When pronounced correctly, “cảm ơn” will sound like “gauhm uhhn”. The “auh” portion of the first word is sounded out in a rising, then falling voice.
Use “bà,” pronounced “baa,” when addressing an older woman, and “cô,” pronounced “coh,” to address a young girl. Use “ông”, pronounced “ohng,” to address a man who is older than you, and “anh,” pronounced “ang,” when thanking a young man. For instance; “cám ơn cô” means “thank you,” as you would say it to a young woman.
Similarly, if you pay someone a compliment, do not expect them to express their gratitude verbally.
In particular, do not expect someone who is your parents age or a teacher to say thank you. Instead, you will likely receive a nod.
Cross your arms when expressing gratitude. This is considered a sign of respect.
Since people maintain eye contact when speaking in many other cultures, averting your eyes may be hard to get used to. Practice looking away from a conversation partner’s eyes before you go to Vietnam.
“Không” is spoken in a flat tone, while “có” is spoken in a rising tone. “Không có chi” is pronounced “khong koh tsee. "
