Nail Salon Vietnamese: 32 Phrases for Your Appointment
At the nail salon, greet a woman tech older than you with chào chị (chow chee, hello). Ask for cắt ngắn giùm em (kut ngun yoom em, cut them short for me), and say đau quá (dow wah, that hurts) if something hurts. Below are 32 Southern Vietnamese phrases in six groups, from greeting your tech to the tip. The last group is what the technician may say to you.
Nail Salon Vietnamese Phrases
Teaches 32 Southern Vietnamese phrases for a nail salon visit: greet your technician, ask for the shape, length and color you want, say when something hurts, and tip. It also covers what technicians often say to you and to each other.
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Greet the Technician
| Vietnamese | Pronunciation | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chào chị. | chow chee | Hello. Say it to a woman technician who looks older than you. To a younger tech, say chào em. To a man, say chào anh. | |
| Em có hẹn lúc hai giờ. | em kaw hen look hai yuh | I have an appointment at two o'clock. Em means I here, when you are younger than the tech. If you are older, call yourself chị (a woman) or anh (a man). | |
| Phải chờ bao lâu vậy chị? | fai chuh bow loh yay chee | How long is the wait? Chờ and đợi both mean wait, and vậy softens the question. Northern speakers often say thế instead of vậy. |
Say What You Want
| Vietnamese | Pronunciation | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Em muốn làm móng tay. | em moon lahm mawng tie | I'd like a manicure. Móng tay means fingernails. Many salons shorten it to làm tay. | |
| Em muốn làm móng chân. | em moon lahm mawng chun | I'd like a pedicure. Móng chân means toenails. Many salons shorten it to làm chân. | |
| Em muốn sơn gel. | em moon suhn jel | I'd like gel polish, the kind that sets under the lamp. For regular polish, say sơn thường. | |
| Cắt ngắn giùm em. | kut ngun yoom em | Cut them short for me, please. Giùm is the Southern word for doing something for someone. The North says giúp or hộ. | |
| Để dài chút nha chị. | deh yai choot nyah chee | Keep them a little long, please. Nha at the end softens the request, like okay. The North says nhé. | |
| Làm móng vuông nha chị. | lahm mawng yoo-ung nyah chee | Square nails, please. Round is móng tròn. Many techs use the English names, such as oval, coffin and almond, even when they speak Vietnamese. | |
| Em muốn màu này. | em moon mow nai | I'd like this color. Point to the bottle as you say it. Màu means color. | |
| Đừng cắt da nha chị. | dung kut yah nyah chee | Please don't cut my cuticles. Da means skin, and cắt da is the cuticle trim. | |
| Gỡ gel cũ giùm em. | guh jel koo yoom em | Please take off my old gel. Salons vary here: some say tháo gel or lấy gel ra for the same thing. |
Say How It Feels
| Vietnamese | Pronunciation | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Đau quá. | dow wah | That hurts. Say it right away if a file or a cuticle trim hurts. Southern speakers say quá like wah. | |
| Nước hơi nóng. | nuh-uk huh-ee nawng | The water is a bit hot. Use it for the foot bath during a pedicure. | |
| Nhẹ tay giùm em nha. | nyeh tie yoom em nyah | Gently, please. Nhẹ tay means a light hand. It is a polite way to ask for a softer touch. | |
| Nhột quá. | nyoht wah | That tickles. Useful during a pedicure. Nhột is used in both regions and is the usual word in the South. | |
| Không sao đâu chị. | khohng sow doh chee | It's fine, no problem. Say it when the tech apologizes. Casual Southern speech often says hông sao đâu. |
Small Talk
| Vietnamese | Pronunciation | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Em đang học tiếng Việt. | em dahng hawk tee-eng yee-et | I'm learning Vietnamese. Southern speakers say the V in Việt like a y. | |
| Em nói tiếng Việt chưa giỏi. | em noy tee-eng yee-et chuh-ah yoy | My Vietnamese isn't good yet. Chưa means not yet, so it sounds hopeful. | |
| Chị làm ở đây lâu chưa? | chee lahm uh day loh chuh-ah | Have you worked here long? A friendly question to ask while your nails dry. | |
| Đẹp quá chị ơi. | dep wah chee uh-ee | They look so pretty. Say it when you see the finished nails. Ơi after chị warmly calls to the person. |
Pay, Tip and Thank
| Vietnamese | Pronunciation | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bao nhiêu tiền vậy chị? | bow nyew tee-eng yay chee | How much is it? Ask at the front counter or when the tech finishes. | |
| Em trả bằng thẻ được không chị? | em chah bung teh duh-uk khohng chee | Can I pay by card? Thẻ means card. Cash is tiền mặt. | |
| Em gửi chị tiền tip. | em goo-ee chee tee-eng tip | This tip is for you. Gửi is a polite way to hand something over in Southern speech. In US salons people say tiền tip or just tip. | |
| Cảm ơn chị nhiều nha. | kahm uhn chee nyew nyah | Thank you very much. Nha makes it warmer. Many Southern speakers say and write cám ơn; cảm ơn is the standard spelling. |
What You'll Hear
| Vietnamese | Pronunciation | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Em chọn màu đi. | em chawn mow dee | Go ahead and pick a color. The tech says this to you. A tech calls you em if you look younger, and chị or anh if you look older. | |
| Chờ chút nha. | chuh choot nyah | Wait a moment, okay? The tech or the front desk says this to you. The North says đợi một chút nhé. | |
| Bỏ tay vô đèn. | baw tie yoh den | Put your hand in the lamp. The tech says this during a gel manicure. Vô is the Southern word for in. The North says vào. | |
| Đổi tay. | doy tie | Switch hands. The tech says this when one hand is done or has had its time under the lamp. | |
| Thả lỏng tay ra em. | tah lawng tie rah em | Relax your hand. The tech says this when your fingers are stiff and hard to work on. Em is how the tech addresses a younger customer. | |
| Có khách. | kaw khaht | A customer is here. Techs say this to each other when someone walks in. Khách means customer or guest. | |
| Xong rồi. | sawng roy | All done. The tech says this when your nails are finished. |
Frequently asked questions
How do you say that hurts in Vietnamese at the nail salon?
Say đau quá (dow wah). To ask for a softer touch, say nhẹ tay giùm em nha (nyeh tie yoom em nyah). Both are polite.
Should I call my nail tech chị, em or cô?
Use chị for a woman older than you, em for someone younger and anh for a man. For a woman about your parents' age, cô is more polite. If you are not sure, chị is a safe choice for a woman.
Is the audio on these cards in a Southern accent?
No. The audio is Google text-to-speech with a Northern Vietnamese voice. The pronunciation guide on each card follows Southern speech, so read it with the audio.
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