🇻🇳 Beginner survival guide · Checked 23 July 2026 · 11 min
Essential Vietnamese Survival Phrases for Expats and Travelers
A useful survival phrase must help you complete a task and understand the reply. This guide therefore pairs essential sentences with communication-repair strategies, register notes and short exchanges you can actually rehearse.
Before memorising: pronouns carry social meaning
Tôi is a useful standard beginner form for “I”, and bạn can mean “you” or “friend”. Neither pair is socially neutral in every situation. Everyday Vietnamese frequently uses family terms such as anh, chị, em, cô or chú according to age and relationship.
Xin chào is correct but relatively formal. Chào followed by a suitable form of address is often more natural. The Michigan State University culture notes also explain how particles such as ạ mark respect and how nha/nhá can soften an utterance.
26 phrases for everyday tasks
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| Chào bạn. | Hello. |
| Cảm ơn. | Thank you. |
| Xin lỗi. | Sorry / excuse me. |
| Tôi không hiểu. | I don't understand. |
| Bạn có nói tiếng Anh không? | Do you speak English? |
| Bạn có thể nói chậm hơn được không? | Could you speak more slowly? |
| Bạn có thể nói lại được không? | Could you say that again? |
| Bạn có thể viết ra được không? | Could you write it down? |
| Cái này bao nhiêu tiền? | How much is this? |
| Tôi lấy cái này. | I'll take this one. |
| Có thể thanh toán bằng thẻ không? | Can I pay by card? |
| Cho tôi một..., được không? | Could I have one...? |
| Tôi ăn chay. | I am vegetarian. |
| Tôi không ăn thịt. | I don't eat meat. |
| Tôi bị dị ứng với đậu phộng. | I am allergic to peanuts. |
| Không cay nhé. | Not spicy, please. |
| Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu? | Where is the bathroom? |
| Tôi muốn đi đến... | I want to go to... |
| Tôi bị lạc. | I am lost. |
| Bạn có thể chỉ trên bản đồ không? | Can you show me on the map? |
| Làm ơn đưa tôi đến địa chỉ này. | Please take me to this address. |
| Dừng ở đây được rồi. | You can stop here. |
| Bạn có thể giúp tôi không? | Can you help me? |
| Tôi cần bác sĩ. | I need a doctor. |
| Gọi xe cấp cứu giúp tôi. | Call an ambulance for me. |
| Tôi bị mất hộ chiếu. | I have lost my passport. |
The four repair phrases to learn first
Prioritise Tôi không hiểu, nói chậm hơn, nói lại and viết ra. A memorised request is not enough when the answer arrives at natural speed. These four actions let you keep the interaction open.
Three mini-dialogues to rehearse
At a market
Cái này bao nhiêu tiền?
How much is this?
Tôi lấy cái này.
I'll take this one.
Ordering food
Cho tôi một phở bò, được không?
Could I have one beef phở?
Không cay nhé.
Not spicy, please.
Asking directions
Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu?
Where is the bathroom?
Bạn có thể chỉ trên bản đồ không?
Can you show me on the map?
Regional vocabulary without mixing your model
Useful words may vary: đậu phộng is common in the South while lạc is common in the North; drinking vessels may be ly or cốc; a bowl may be tô or bát. The MSU food vocabulary marks several of these regional choices.
Choose the vocabulary and pronunciation used where you live, but learn to recognise the alternative. Do not combine an English-style phonetic respelling with Vietnamese spelling: it cannot represent the vowel and tone system reliably.
Food allergies and emergencies
For a serious allergy, carry a professionally checked written card naming the exact allergen and the required response. Tôi bị dị ứng với đậu phộng communicates a peanut allergy, but one memorised sentence is not a substitute for verified medical communication.
In an emergency, follow current local official guidance. The phrases in this article support communication; they do not replace emergency services, medical advice or an interpreter.
A seven-day practice sequence
- Learn greetings and the four repair phrases with audio from one regional model.
- Practise prices with five real objects and changing numbers.
- Build three food orders and listen for the server's follow-up question.
- Ask for three places on a map and follow the answer physically.
- Role-play a taxi ride using a real written address.
- Practise one problem scenario without reading your script.
- Complete all three mini-dialogues, then replace one detail in each.
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