Here are the notes I made during my Vietnamese lesson with Alex, the i-to-i co-ordinator who was working in Hanoi when I was out there. The Vietnamese people will really appreciate you giving it a go so practice and just go for it when you're out there!

Some phrases in Vietnamese are said differently depending on who you are talking to. For example:

Hello
For everybody – Xin Chào (say “sin chow”)
To an older male – Chào anh (chow anyh”)
To an older female – Chào chi (chow chee)
To children – Chào em (chow em)

What is your name?
To am older male – Anh tên gì? (“ahny ten zee?)
To an older female – Chi tên gì? (“chee ten zee?”)
To children - Em tên gì? (em ten zee?”)
To a peer – Ban tên gì? (“bahn ten zee?”)

My name is…
You would answer according to how you were asked.
When you are the older male – Anh tên lá Bob
When you are the older female – Chi tên lá Sue
When you are the child – Em tên lá Bobby/Susie
When you are the peer – Mình tên lá Bob/Sue

How are you?
Use the correct prefix (ahn, chi, em or ban) depending on who you are talking to, followed by “khoe knông?” You say this, “huay hum” but pronounce the “h” similar to the way “j” is sounded in Spanish (like you’re clearing your throat!)

I’m fine
Use correct prefix depending on how you were asked (except for is you are the peer, in which case use “tôi”) then say “khoe” again sounding the h like a Spanish j.

Good – Tôt (say “dohh” and ensure your tone goes up at the end of the word)
Very good – Rat tôt (“zah dohh” and again, go up at the end)
Not good – không tôt (hong dohh, keep your tone level for hong then go up for dohh)

Goodbye – Tam Bîet
or Chào

See you later – Hen găp lai (“hen gap leh” and make sure your tone goes down at the
end of each word)

Thank you – Cám on (“cahmoon”)
Sorry – xin lôi (“sin loy” and go up in tone on loy)
Please – xin moi (“sin moy” keep tone level for sin them when saying moy, sort of
smack your lips together!)

No – knông (“khoum”)
Yes – có (“caw” like the noise a crow makes)
How much? – Bao nhiêu tiên? (“Bow niyuh tien” keep your tone level for bow niyuh
then go down for tien)
Too expensive – Dat qua (“dat qwaah, going up in tone for both words)
Oh my God! – oi cho oi (say it really fast, and use when they quote you a very silly
high price!)

Numbers
1. Môt (“mo”)
2. Hai (“hi)
3. Ba
4. Bôń (go up in tone)
5. Nám
6. Sáu (“sow”)
7. Bay (“biy” and do a loop, tone wise – up then down!)
8. Tám
9. Chiń
10. Muoì (“muy” going down in tone)

Hundred. Tram (“cham)
Thousand. Ngin (“nyee” go down in down)
Million. Tuieu (“chee ow” go down in tone)

To make more complicated numbers, just put the numerals together. So for example instead of saying “eleven” say “one one” or instead of “two hundred and twenty three” say “two hundred two ten three”

See, easy isn't it?!

• Vietnam