How Vietnamese people actually greet each other

As you know “hello, hi…” in Vietnamese is “Xin chào”. However, it is unnatural. Therefore, today we will learn some interesting ways to greet others in Vietnamese naturally. Let’s get started.

There are many personal pronouns used in this lesson. You can change them to suitable pronouns for you and for the listener.

Let’s check it here  Vietnamese pronouns – How to address people and yourself in Vietnamese

🔷1. The first way is “chào + personal pronoun”

Ví dụ: (eg)

• chào chị,
• chào em,
• chào con,
• chào chú

Note: If you greet somebody who is older than you, we highly recommend you to say like this “your pronoun + chào + their pronoun” (I – hello – you). It will show your politeness to them.

Ví dụ:

• con chào ông,
• con chào cô,
• em chào chị,
• em chào anh…

🔷2. You can greet them with their pronoun only or “pronoun + hả!”, without saying “chào”.

Ví dụ:

• Anh!
• Chị Linh hả! (Ms. Linh huh!)
• Chú hả!
• Cô Thủy! 

🔷3. “Hello + pronoun” or “Hi + pronoun” are quite common for young people to greet each other. “Hello” and “hi” are pronounced like /hé lô/ and /hai/.

Ví dụ:

• Hello chị
• Hi anh
• Hello em

🔷4. Greeting by asking questions about What they are doing and What is obviously happening… However, it is not a question at all and the common reply is “Dạ” or “Ờ/Ừ”.

Ví dụ:

Ủa, chị đi siêu thị hả?

Meaning: Oh, You’re going to the supermarket, huh?

Usage: You meet her when she is in the supermarket.

Anh mua bánh mì hả?

Meaning: You’re buying bánh mì, huh?

Usage: You meet him when he’s buying bánh mì.

Nay chị đi làm sớm vậy?

Meaning: Today you go to work early, huh?

Usage: You meet her at the office and he arrives at the office earlier than you.

Cô đi uống cà phê hả?

Meaning: You’re going to the coffee shop, huh?

Usage: You meet her when she’s at the coffee shop.

Anh đi dạo hả?

Meaning: You’re going for walk, huh?

Usage: You meet him when he’s going for walk.

🔷5. Greeting by asking some caring questions like “Have you had dinner yet?”, “How have you been?”…

Ví dụ:

A: Em ăn cơm chưa?

Have you had a meal yet?

B: Dạ rồi, chị ăn chưa vậy?

Yes, Have you had breakfast?

A: Ăn sáng chưa chị?

Have you had breakfast yet?

B: Chưa em, sáng nay dậy trễ quá, chưa kịp ăn.

Nope, I woke up too late so didn’t have time to eat.

A: Dạo này anh sao rồi? = Dạo này khỏe không anh? 

How have you been recently? (After a long time you you haven’t met them)

B: Khỏe em ơi. Em thì sao? Công việc tốt không?

I’ve been good. And you? How’s your job?

A: Dạ cũng được anh.

It’s fine.

🔷6. Greeting by asking some generic questions like “What are you doing?”, “Where are you going?”…. Actually, the speaker doesn’t expect detailed answer from the listener. And the listener doesn’t really answer the question as well so the reply isn’t really the answer to the question.

Ví dụ:

A: Em đi đâu vậy?

Where are you going?

B: Dạ em đi đây chút.

I’m going here a little bit.

A: Anh làm gì vậy?

Where are you doing?

B: Anh làm cái này xíu.

I’m doing this a little bit.