BeginnerUnit 115 min
Who are you to me?
The kinship pronouns: anh, chị, em, cô, chú, bác and the rest
Vietnamese has no neutral “you” or “I”. Every conversation starts with a silent calculation: how old are you compared to me, and what side of the family would you be on? Get this right and everything else is forgiven.
Vocabulary
anh
Say it like · ahn
older brother / a man a bit older than you
chị
Say it like · chee
older sister / a woman a bit older than you
em
Say it like · em
younger sibling / someone younger than you
cô
Say it like · koh
aunt (father’s side) / a woman your parents’ age
chú
Say it like · choo
uncle (father’s younger brother) / a man your parents’ age
bác
Say it like · bahk
older aunt or uncle / someone older than your parents
ông
Say it like · ohng
grandfather / an elderly man
bà
Say it like · bah
grandmother / an elderly woman
con
Say it like · kon
child; “I” when talking to parents and elders
cháu
Say it like · chow
grandchild / niece / nephew; “I” to grandparents’ generation
Phrases
Con chào bác ạ.
Hello (I, your junior, greet you, my elder).
The “ạ” at the end is pure politeness.
Em tên gì?
What’s your name? (to someone younger)
Chị ơi, cho em hỏi.
Excuse me, miss, can I ask you something?
Standard opener in a shop or restaurant.
Tips
- When in doubt, age up. Calling someone “chị” when she is “em” is flattering. The reverse is a felony.
- At a restaurant, staff are “em” if younger and “anh/chị” if older. Order with “cho em/anh/chị…”.