How many words are in this list?

This page gives 100 Vietnamese words on “Politeness and small talk”. The full topic holds 129 in the KoKo app: 51 at the easy level, 45 at the medium level and 33 at the hard level.

Which words should I start with?

With level 1: these are the easiest words of the topic. Move on to level 2 once they come to you without thinking, then to level 3.

How can I remember this Vietnamese vocabulary?

By seeing each word again at longer and longer intervals, just before you forget it: that is spaced repetition. The KoKo app does it for you and tells you each day which words to review.

Can I print this list or save it as a PDF?

Yes. The “Print the list” button at the top of the page opens your device’s print dialog: choose to save as PDF to keep the 100 words and their translation, with nothing else around them.

Vietnamese vocabulary: greetings and polite phrases

Hello, thank you, please, sorry, see you soon: the polite Vietnamese phrases for greeting, thanking and starting a conversation.

Here are 100 Vietnamese words on “Politeness and small talk”, translated into English and sorted from easiest to hardest.

Level 1: easy 39 words

Vietnamese	English
xin mời đi trước	after you
cạn li	cheers
chúc may mắn	good luck
chúc ngủ ngon	good nightWhen parting to go to sleep
tạm biệt	goodbye
chúc mừng sinh nhật	happy birthday
chúc mừng năm mới	happy New Year
chúc buổi tối vui vẻ	have a good eveningWhen leaving someone early in the evening
xin chào	helloGreeting on arrival, during the day
chào	hiInformal greeting
nói thế nào	how do you say
tôi không biết	I do not know
tôi không hiểu	I do not understand
không sao đâu	it does not matter
cố lên	keep it up
cứ tự nhiên như ở nhà	make yourself at home
tôi có thể giúp gì cho bạn	may I help you
không	no
không vấn đề gì	no problem
có gì đâu	not at all
dĩ nhiên	of course
được rồi	okay
đợi một chút	one moment
hẹn gặp lát nữa	see you shortly
hẹn sớm gặp lại	see you soon
càng tốt	so much the better
tôi xin lỗi	sorryApology
cảm ơn	thank you
thật đáng tiếc	that is a pity
làm quen	to get acquainted
giới thiệu	to introduce
tự giới thiệu	to introduce oneself
hẹn gặp lần sau	until next time
coi chừng	watch out
nghĩa là gì	what does it mean
có gì mới không	what is new
rất sẵn lòng	with pleasureEnthusiastic acceptance
vâng	yes
không có gì	you are welcomeEveryday use

Level 2: medium 35 words

Vietnamese	English
lời xin lỗi	apology
những lời chúc tốt đẹp nhất	best wishes
cuộc trò chuyện	conversation
phiền bạn	could you
cuộc thảo luận	discussion
bạn có nói tiếng Anh không	do you speak English
chúc ngon miệng	enjoy your meal
cho tôi xin lỗi	excuse me
vĩnh biệt	farewell
hãy đi theo tôi	follow me
chúc mau khoẻ	get well soon
chào buổi tối	good eveningGreeting on arrival, from late afternoon onwards
cái bắt tay	handshake
cuối tuần vui vẻ	have a good weekend
giúp tôi với	help me
tôi muốn	I would like
sự giới thiệu	introduction
lời mời	invitation
Giáng sinh vui vẻ	merry Christmas
chậm hơn	more slowly
đành vậy	never mind
làm ơn	please
rất vui được làm quen	pleased to meet you
lời trách móc	reproach
vô cùng cảm ơn	thanks a million
bạn thật tử tế	that is kind
nói lời xin lỗi	to apologise
bắt chuyện	to approach someone
chào hỏi	to greet
mời	to invite
chúc	to wish
sự đón tiếp	welcomeNoun, the act of receiving someone
tiếc quá	what a shame
bạn tên là gì	what is your name
không dám	you are welcomeFormal register

Level 3: hard 26 words

Vietnamese	English
cho phép tôi	allow me
sự im lặng ngượng ngùng	awkward silence
mời vào	come in
sự an ủi	comfort
lời khen	compliment
sự khích lệ	encouragement
cách xưng hô trang trọng	formal address
lời chào	greeting
a lô	helloOn the phone, when picking up
xin đợi	hold on
bất lịch sự	ill mannered
sự hiểu lầm	misunderstanding
xin chia buồn	my condolences
rất hân hạnh	nice to meet you
vui lòng chờ trong giây lát	please hold on
câu xã giao	polite formula
một cách lịch sự	politely
phép lịch sự	politeness
xin nhắc lại	repeat
sự thô lỗ	rudeness
mời ngồi	sit down
chúc mừng	to congratulate
làm phiền	to disturb
ngắt lời	to interrupt
hôn má	to kiss on the cheek
xưng hô thân mật	to use informal address

Mini quiz

5 words from this page, picked at random. Find their translation.

Frequently asked questions

How many words are in this list?: This page gives 100 Vietnamese words on “Politeness and small talk”. The full topic holds 129 in the KoKo app: 51 at the easy level, 45 at the medium level and 33 at the hard level.
Which words should I start with?: With level 1: these are the easiest words of the topic. Move on to level 2 once they come to you without thinking, then to level 3.
How can I remember this Vietnamese vocabulary?: By seeing each word again at longer and longer intervals, just before you forget it: that is spaced repetition. The KoKo app does it for you and tells you each day which words to review.
Can I print this list or save it as a PDF?: Yes. The “Print the list” button at the top of the page opens your device’s print dialog: choose to save as PDF to keep the 100 words and their translation, with nothing else around them.