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PHRASEBOOK & DICTIONARY
vietnamese–english

dictionary are listed according to the Vietnamese alphabetical order

t box below). The order of tone marks on the same vowel is: a, á, à, ħ,
Never get stuck for words with our
3500-word two-way dictionary
words marked with n, a, adv, prep and v (indicating noun, adjective,
on and verb) where necessary. When we’ve given both the northern
n translation of a word, the two options are marked as ࿓ and ࿘ (for
A
regional variations, see pronunciation, page 15). For food terms, see
der, page 165.

e alphabet
Ââ Bb Cc Dd ¿ơ Ee Êê
uh be se ze ơe a e

bánh Hue baáng hwé rice-Áou

Ii
ee
Kk
Áaa
Ll
e·l
e·luh
Mm
e·muh
Nn
e·nuh
Oo
o
Ôô
aw
w

Qq
koostu͊ed with minced shrimp
Rr
e·ruh
Ss
e·suh
Tt
de
Uu
u
Ģģ
uhr
Vv
ve

bánh kĽp baáng ÁĽp pancake

bánh khoai baáng kwai
sweet-potato cake • sweet-po
bánh mì baáng meè bread
Order the right meal with our
bánh mì kĽp baáng meè ÁĽp s menu decoder
bánh mì nģşng baáng meè nu
toast
bánh
nh
n h mì thŏ
thŏt
t ŏt baáng
th g g meè
m tŏt
att (usu
meat ((usually
(usua
ussua
sualllly pork)
pork)
rk)
k)) rol
rroll with ve
ro
bá h whoı do b you
á loveh
In this book, we’ve generally us

Avoid embarrassing situations

‘you’, but in everyday speech, t
priate pronoun would be used.
context that definitely require
express your love to another, yo
pronoun: with essential tips on culture &
I love you.
(man saying)
I love you.
Anh yêu em

Em yêu an
manners
(woman saying)

25+ YEARS
Lonely Planet Phrasebooks 6TH EDITION lonelyplanet.com
Published Sep 2013 UK £4.99
have been connecting
First Published Apr 1993 USA $8.99
travellers and locals for over
a quarter of a century
ISBN 978-1-74321-436-7
50899
120+ LANGUAGES
Our phrasebooks and
mobile apps cover more
9 781743 214367
than any other publisher

vietnamese-phrasebook-6-cover.indd 1 26/04/2013 11:21:59 AM

 Vietnamese
PHRASEBOOK & DICTIONARY

prelims-pb-vie6.indd 1 30/04/2013 5:52:17 PM

 Acknowledgments
Associate Publisher Mina Patria
Managing Editor Angela Tinson
Editor Branislava Vladisavljevic
Series Designer Mark Adams
Managing Layout Designer Jane Hart
Layout Designer Clara Monitto
Cover Image Researcher Naomi Parker

Thanks
Carol Jackson, Chris Love, Wayne Murphy, Jeanette Wall

Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

ABN 36 005 607 983
6th Edition – Sep 2013
Published
ISBN 978 1 by Lonely
74321 436 Planet
7 Publications Pty Ltd
ABN 36Lonely
Text © 005 607 9832013
Planet
Cover Image
8th Edition Binh Thuan
– March 2012 Province, Rene Mattes/Corbis ©
ISBN 978
Printed in 1China
74220 0811
1 9 847 6 5 4 3 2 1
Text © Lonely Planet 2012
Cover Image xxx – xxx
Printed in China 01 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contact lonelyplanet.com/contact

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
except brief extracts for the purpose of review, without the written permission of the publisher.
Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trade marks of Lonely Planet and are registered
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Although the authors and Lonely Planet try to make the information
as accurate as possible, we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury
or inconvenience sustained by anyone using this book.

Paper in this book is certified against the Forest Stewardship Council™

standards. FSC™ promotes environmentally responsible, socially
beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

prelims-pb-vie6.indd 2 30/04/2013 5:52:46 PM

 acknowledgments

Editor Branislava Vladisavljevic would like to acknowledge the

following people for their contributions to this phrasebook:
Ben Handicott for transliterations, translations, cultural infor-
mation and proofing the manuscript. Ben lived in Vietnam for
three years and now works as a publisher for Lonely Planet.
Ben would like to thank Benjamin Reichman for his transla-
tions and advice; Ralph Schwer and Nga Ngọc Schwer for
their assistance with the dictionary and comments on the
manuscript; and Ralph again for his thoughts on the trans-
literation system. Thanks also to a dedicated bunch who’ve
tested the transliterations in Footscray phở haunts and bánh
mì bakeries (as if the food wasn’t thanks enough).
Yukiyoshi Kamimura for the internal illustrations and Lara
Cameron for the cover illustration.
Mark Germanchis, David Burnett and Nick Stebbing for tech-
nical assistance and software support.
a ckn o w l ed g m en t s

prelims-pb-vie6.indd 3 30/04/2013 5:52:46 PM

 make the most of this phrasebook …
Anyone can speak another language! It’s all about confidence.
Don’t worry if you can’t remember your school language
lessons or if you’ve never learnt a language before. Even if you
learn the very basics (on the inside covers of this book), your
travel experience will be the better for it. You have nothing to
lose and everything to gain when the locals hear you making
an effort.
finding things in this book
For easy navigation, this book is in sections. The Basics chapters
are the ones you’ll thumb through time and again. The Practical
section covers basic travel situations like catching transport
MAK E TH E M OS T OF T H I S PHR ASE BO O K

and finding a bed. The Social section gives you conversational

phrases, pick-up lines, the ability to express opinions – so you
can get to know people. Food has a section all of its own: gour-
mets and vegetarians are covered and local dishes feature. Safe
Travel equips you with health and police phrases, just in case.
Remember the colours of each section and you’ll find every-
thing easily; or use the comprehensive Index. Otherwise, check
the two-way traveller’s Dictionary for the word you need.
being understood
Throughout this book you’ll see coloured phrases on each
page. They’re phonetic guides to help you pronounce the
language. Start with them to get a feel for how Vietnamese
sounds. The pronunciation chapter in Basics will explain more,
but you can be confident that if you read the coloured phrase,
you’ll be understood. As you become familiar with the spoken
language, move on to using the actual Vietnamese text which
will help you perfect your pronunciation.
communication tips
Body language, ways of doing things, sense of humour – all
have a role to play in every culture. ‘Local talk’ boxes show you
common ways of saying things, or everyday language to drop
into conversation. ‘Listen for …’ boxes supply the phrases you
may hear. They start with the language (so local people can
point out what they want to say to you) and then lead in to the
pronunciation guide and the English translation.

prelims-pb-vie6.indd 4 30/04/2013 5:52:47 PM

 about Vietnamese .........................................8
map ..................................................... 8
basics...........................................................11
pronunciation ....................... 11
vowel sounds ...........................11
tones ...........................................13
consonant sounds ..................13
regional differences ...............15
word stress ................................15
reading & writing ....................16
a–z p hrasebuilder ................. 17
contents .....................................17
adjectives & adverbs .............19
be..................................................19
classifiers....................................20
demonstratives .......................21
have .............................................22
negatives ...................................22
personal pronouns.................23
plurals .........................................24
possessives ...............................24
prepositions..............................24
questions ...................................25
practical ......................................................43
transport ............................... 43
getting around ........................43
tickets..........................................44
luggage ......................................46
plane ...........................................46
bus ...............................................47
train .............................................48
boat .............................................48
taxi, motorcycle–taxi &
cyclo .........................................49
car & motorbike.......................50
bicycle.........................................54
border c rossing ..................... 55
border crossing .......................55
at customs .................................56
prelims-pb-vie6.indd 5
introduction ..................................... 9
requests .....................................27
there is/are ................................28
verbs ............................................28
word order ................................30
glossary ......................................31
language difficulties ............ 33
numbers & amounts ............. 35
cardinal numbers....................35
ordinal numbers .....................36
fractions .....................................36
useful amounts........................36
time & dates .......................... 37
telling the time ........................37
the calendar..............................38
present .......................................39
past ..............................................39
future ..........................................40
during the day .........................40
money .................................... 41
directions .............................. 57
accommodation .................... 59
finding accommodation .......59
booking ahead &
checking in .............................60
requests & queries..................61
complaints ................................63
checking out.............................64
C ON T EN TS
camping .....................................66
renting ........................................67
staying with locals ..................67
shopping ............................... 69
looking for .................................69
making a purchase.................69
bargaining.................................71
30/04/2013 5:52:47 PM
 books & reading ......................71
clothes ........................................72
electronic goods .....................73
hairdressing ..............................73
music ...........................................74
photography ............................74
repairs .........................................76
communications ................... 77
the internet ...............................77
mobile/cell phone ..................78
phone..........................................79
post office..................................81
social ...........................................................97
meeting people..................... 97
basics...........................................97
greetings &
goodbyes................................97
addressing people .................99
making conversation ............99
nationalities ........................... 101
age ............................................ 101
occupations &
studies .................................. 102
family ....................................... 103
farewells .................................. 104
interests...............................105
common interests ............... 105
music ........................................ 106
cinema & theatre ................. 107
feelings & opinions .............109
feelings .................................... 109
opinions .................................. 110
politics &
social issues ........................ 111
C O NTE N TS
the environment .................. 113
going out .............................115
where to go ........................... 115
invitations............................... 116
responding to
invitations............................ 117
arranging to meet ............... 117
drugs ........................................ 118
prelims-pb-vie6.indd 6
banking ................................. 83
sightseeing............................ 85
getting in ...................................86
tours ............................................87
business................................. 89
senior & disabled
travellers.............................. 91
children ................................. 93
travelling with children ........93
talking with children .............95
talking about children ..........96
romance...............................119
asking someone out ........... 119
pick-up lines .......................... 120
rejections ................................ 120
getting closer ........................ 121
sex ............................................. 122
love ........................................... 123
problems ................................ 125
leaving ..................................... 126
beliefs & cultural
differences ........................127
religion .................................... 127
cultural differences ............. 128
art.........................................129
sport ....................................131
sporting interests ................ 131
going to a game................... 132
playing sport ......................... 133
extreme sports...................... 135
fishing ...................................... 136
horse racing ........................... 137
horse riding ........................... 138
soccer ....................................... 139
tennis & table tennis........... 140
water sports ........................... 141
outdoors ..............................143
hiking ....................................... 143
beach ....................................... 146
weather ................................... 147
flora & fauna .......................... 148
30/04/2013 5:52:47 PM
 food ...........................................................149
eating out ............................149
basics........................................ 149
finding a place to eat ......... 150
restaurant ............................... 151
at the table ............................. 154
talking food ........................... 155
methods of
preparation ......................... 155
nonalcoholic drinks ............ 156
alcoholic drinks .................... 157
in the bar ................................ 158
drinking up ............................ 160
self-catering ........................161
buying food ........................... 161
cooking utensils ................... 162
vegetarian &
special meals ....................163
ordering food ........................ 163
special diets & allergies ..... 164
menu dec oder .....................165

safe travel..................................................171
essentials .............................171 women’s health.................... 180
emergencies .......................... 171 allergies ................................... 182
police ....................................... 172 parts of the body ................. 183
health...................................175 alternative treatments ....... 184
doctor ...................................... 175 pharmacist ............................. 185
symptoms & conditions .... 178 dentist...................................... 186

dictionary ..................................................187
english–vietnamese vietnamese–english
dictionary ............................ 187 dictionary ............................ 219

index .........................................................249 C ON T EN TS

prelims-pb-vie6.indd 7 30/04/2013 5:52:47 PM

 vietnamese

Cao Bang China

VIETNAM
Fansipan
(3143m) So
H ng
o H
M an on

Da
g
Riv o u g
er n L
ta ie
in n

(R
Myanmar Hanoi Halong

ed
s
Son La

Riv
Bai Tu Long

er
)
(Burma) City Bay
Halong
Bay
Laos
Gulf of
Tonkin Hainan
V
Island
Vinh (China)
Mek

I
ong

Demilitarised
Ben Hai Zone (DMZ)
River

Hué
T
Riv

Paracel
er

Danang
Thailand Hoi An
Islands
N T
ru
on
g
So
n M
ou n t
A ains

Pleiku SOUTH
Cen
Mtral

CHINA
Tonlé SEA
H i g h l an
Mekong
AB OUT VI E TN AME SE

Sap Cambodia
River

ds

Dalat Nha Trang

Ho Chi
Minh City
Gulf of (Saigon)
Me

Phan Thiet
ko

ng
Ba

My Tho
ss

Thailand
ac

Riv
er
Vung Tau
Riv
er

Phu Quoc Tien Giang River

Island CanTho (Mekong River)
Ca Mau Con Dao
Islands 0 200 km
0 120 mi

official language
For more details, see the introduction.
8

prelims-pb-vie6.indd 8 30/04/2013 5:52:48 PM

 ABOUT VIETNAMESE

The distant ancestor of today’s Vietnamese was born in the

Red River Delta region, now in northern Vietnam. Initially, it
was strongly influenced by Indic and Malayo-Polynesian lan-
guages, but this all changed when the Chinese took control of
the coastal nation in the 2nd century BC.
Over a millennium, nearly 30 dynasties of Chinese rulers
held sway in Vietnam. This period saw Chinese used as the
language of literature, academia, science, politics and the Viet-
namese aristocracy. The common people, however, still spoke
the vernacular language, which was written in chữ nôm jũhr
nawm. This script consisted of Chinese characters adapted to
express Vietnamese sounds, and it was used until the early
20th century. Over two thirds of Vietnamese words are derived
from Chinese sources – this vocabulary is termed Hán Việt
haán vee·ụht (Sino-Vietnamese).
Following a century of fighting for independence, the Viet-
namese gained control of
at a glance … their own land in AD 939.
Vietnamese, written in chữ
language name:
Vietnamese nôm, gained prestige as
the nation rebuilt itself. This
name in language: was the richest time for Viet-
tiếng Việt namese literature – great
dee·úhng vee·ụht works such as the poetry
language family: of Ho Xuan Huong and the
epic poem Truyện Kiều
in t r o d uct i on

Mon-Khmer
approximate number of chwee·ụhn ğee·oò (‘The Tale
speakers: of Kieu’) by Nguyen Du were
about 85 million composed.
worldwide The first European mis-
sionaries appeared in Viet-
close relative:
Muong nam in the 16th century.
(Hill Tribe language) The French gradually as-
serted themselves over the
9

prelims-pb-vie6.indd 9 30/04/2013 5:52:49 PM

 Portuguese as the region’s dominant European power, adding
Vietnam to Indochina in 1859 when they took control of Saigon.
French vocabulary began to be used in Vietnamese, and in 1910
the Latin-based quốc ngữ gwáwk ngũhr script was declared
the language’s official written form, facilitating French rule
even further. This 29-letter phonetic alphabet had been in-
vented in the 17th century by Alexandre de Rhodes, a French
Jesuit missionary. Today virtually all writing is in quốc ngữ.
Despite the many conflicts which Vietnam has faced since
the middle of last century, little has changed in the Vietnamese
language. Some modifications, however, were made to quốc
ngữ during the ’50s and ’60s – this made the script representa-
tive of a ‘Middle Vietnamese’ dialect which combines the initial
consonants of the south with the vowels and final consonants
of the north.
Today, Vietnamese is the official language of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam. It’s spoken by about 85 million people
worldwide, both in Vietnam and among migrant communities
in Australia, Europe, North America and Japan.
This book gives you the practical phrases you need to get by
in Vietnamese, as well as all the fun, spontaneous phrases that
can lead to a better understanding of Vietnam and its people.
Once you’ve got the hang of how to pronounce Vietnamese
words, the rest is just a matter of confidence. Local knowledge,
new relationships and a sense of satisfaction are on the tip of
your tongue. So don’t just stand there, say something!
AB OUT VI E TN AME SE

abbreviations used in this book

a adjective Ⓝ north
adv adverb pl plural
f feminine pol polite
inf informal prep preposition
lit literal sg singular
m masculine Ⓢ south
n noun v verb

10

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