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BeginnerUnit 110 min

Xin chào and friends

Hello, thank you, and the one everybody gets wrong

60% complete

“Xin chào” is what the textbook says. What people actually say depends on who they are talking to, which is the theme of this entire language.

01

Vocabulary

  • xin chào

    Say it like · sin chow

    hello (formal, neutral)

  • chào

    Say it like · chow

    hi / bye (add a pronoun!)

  • cảm ơn

    Say it like · gahm uhn

    thank you

  • xin lỗi

    Say it like · sin loy

    sorry / excuse me

  • dạ

    Say it like · yah (S) / zah (N)

    yes (polite), also “I’m listening”

  • không

    Say it like · khohng

    no / not

02

Phrases

  • Chào cô.

    Hello (to a woman your parents’ age).

    Never just “chào” to an elder; always add the pronoun.

  • Cảm ơn anh nhiều.

    Thanks a lot (to a slightly older man).

  • Dạ, con biết rồi.

    Yes, I know (to a parent or elder).

03

Tips

  • “Chào” without a pronoun sounds like a robot. Pick one from the kinship lesson.
  • “Dạ” before anything you say to an elder buys you a lot of goodwill.