Travel Tips

Useful Vietnamese Phrases for Travellers

You do not need to speak Vietnamese to travel Vietnam, as English is widely understood in the tourist areas and a smile carries you a long way. But learning even a handful of words changes how people respond to you, turning transactions into warmer little exchanges and often earning a grin and a better price at the market. A few phrases are genuinely useful, and none of them are hard to pick up.

Below is our friendly travel phrasebook for Vietnam in 2026: the greetings and courtesies worth knowing, the numbers and money words, ordering food and getting around, and a few simple pronunciation tips so you are actually understood. Keep it on your phone, try a couple each day, and enjoy the reaction. It pairs nicely with our guide to Vietnamese food when you are ready to order.

A quick word on pronunciation

Vietnamese is a tonal language, which means the same syllable said with a different pitch can mean something completely different. That sounds daunting, but as a traveller you do not need to master the tones, as context and goodwill fill most of the gaps. Say the words with a light touch, keep them short, and do not worry about getting the tone spot on; people are used to visitors trying and will meet you halfway. The effort matters more than the accuracy.

Greetings and courtesies

Start here, as these are the phrases you will use most. Hello is "xin chao" (sin chow). Thank you is "cam on" (kam un), and you can add "very much" as "cam on nhieu". Yes is "vang" or "co", and no is "khong" (kohm), which doubles as the word for zero. "Please" is "lam on", sorry or excuse me is "xin loi" (sin loy), and a cheerful "no problem" is "khong sao". Goodbye is "tam biet". Just "xin chao" and "cam on" with a smile will carry you through most of a day.

Being understood, and asking for help

A few phrases smooth the trickier moments. "Do you speak English?" is "ban co noi tieng Anh khong?", and "I don't understand" is "toi khong hieu". If you need to say you do not speak Vietnamese, that is "toi khong noi tieng Viet". "Where is the toilet?" is "nha ve sinh o dau?", and simply pointing while saying "o dau?" (where?) works for anything you are looking for. Most useful of all is a patient smile, which unlocks more help than any single phrase.

Numbers and money

Numbers help most when shopping and paying. One to five are "mot, hai, ba, bon, nam"; six to ten are "sau, bay, tam, chin, muoi". Money is counted in thousands, so prices are often said in short: "muoi nghin" is ten thousand dong. "How much is it?" is the phrase to memorise: "bao nhieu tien?" (bow nyew tee-un). "Too expensive" is "dat qua", handy for a friendly haggle, and "no thank you" to a persistent seller is a smiling "khong, cam on".

Ordering food and drink

Mealtimes are more fun with a few words. "I would like..." is "cho toi..." (cho toy), so "cho toi pho" is "I'd like pho". "Delicious" is "ngon", which always pleases a cook, and "the bill, please" is "tinh tien". If you are vegetarian, "toi an chay" means "I eat vegetarian", a genuinely useful one to learn. "Beer" is "bia" (said just like the English), "coffee" is "ca phe", and "water" is "nuoc". "Cheers" over a drink is a hearty "mot hai ba, yo!"

Getting around

A handful of travel words help with drivers and directions. "Where is...?" is "...o dau?", and the name of the place plus "o dau" is usually enough. "Stop here" is "dung o day", useful in a taxi. "How much to go to...?" is "di... bao nhieu tien?", worth agreeing before you set off. "Left" is "trai", "right" is "phai", and "straight on" is "di thang". In practice the Grab app does most of this for you, but the words are handy when you are on foot.

Words you'll see written down

A few words crop up on signs and are handy to recognise. "Khach san" is a hotel and "nha nghi" a guesthouse; "nha ve sinh" is the toilet, often shortened to "WC". "Cho" is a market, "ga" a train station and "san bay" the airport. "Duong" means street, so a road name is often "Duong" plus the name. "Mo cua" means open and "dong cua" closed. You do not need to memorise these, but spotting them makes finding your way around a little easier.

A few words that win smiles

Beyond the practical, a couple of phrases simply delight people. "Vietnam is beautiful" is "Viet Nam dep lam", and it never fails to please. "I like Vietnamese food" is "toi thich do an Viet Nam". If someone helps you, "cam on ban" is a warmer, more personal thank you. And a friendly "xin chao" to a shopkeeper or a nod to an older person goes further than any transaction. These are the words that turn a trip into a series of small, warm connections.

How to actually learn a few

You do not need an app or a course. Pick five phrases, "hello, thank you, how much, delicious, the bill", and use them from day one, and they will stick within a day or two. Save this list on your phone for the rest. Do not be shy or worry about mistakes, as trying is the whole point and locals are endlessly patient with visitors who have a go. Every attempt, however clumsy, is met with encouragement rather than correction.

So, which phrases really matter?

If you learn only a few, make them "xin chao" (hello), "cam on" (thank you), "bao nhieu tien?" (how much?), "ngon" (delicious) and "tinh tien" (the bill). Those five cover greetings, shopping and eating, which is most of a traveller's day. Add a smile and a willingness to try, and you will find Vietnam opens up in small, lovely ways that visitors who stick to English never quite see.

How we help you feel at home

Part of travelling with a planner is arriving prepared and at ease, with the little things smoothed in advance. As private planners, we carefully craft each trip around you, and where language might be a barrier, our guides and drivers bridge it so you are never stuck. Our private Vietnam itinerary planning takes care of the logistics, and our guides to Vietnamese etiquette and Vietnamese food help you feel at home from the first day.

Common questions about Vietnamese phrases

How do you say hello and thank you in Vietnamese?

Hello is "xin chao", said roughly like "sin chow", and thank you is "cam on", roughly "kam un". You can add "cam on nhieu" for thank you very much. These two, said with a smile, are the phrases you will use most and will carry you through most of a day.

Do I need to speak Vietnamese to travel in Vietnam?

No. English is widely understood in the tourist areas, and a smile and a few basic phrases carry you a long way. Learning even a handful of words like hello, thank you and how much changes how people respond to you, but you can travel comfortably without being fluent.

How do you ask how much something costs in Vietnamese?

"How much is it?" is "bao nhieu tien?", said roughly "bow nyew tee-un". "Too expensive" is "dat qua", useful for a friendly haggle at the market. Prices are counted in thousands of dong, so "muoi nghin" means ten thousand.

How do you order food in Vietnamese?

"I would like..." is "cho toi...", so "cho toi pho" means "I'd like pho". "Delicious" is "ngon", "the bill, please" is "tinh tien", and "I eat vegetarian" is "toi an chay". Beer is "bia", coffee is "ca phe" and water is "nuoc".

Is Vietnamese hard to pronounce?

Vietnamese is tonal, so pitch changes meaning, but as a traveller you do not need to master the tones. Say the words with a light touch and keep them short; context and goodwill fill the gaps, and people are used to visitors trying and will meet you halfway.

What are the most useful Vietnamese phrases for tourists?

The five most useful are "xin chao" (hello), "cam on" (thank you), "bao nhieu tien?" (how much?), "ngon" (delicious) and "tinh tien" (the bill). They cover greetings, shopping and eating, which is most of a traveller's day.