Conversational Vietnamese for Expats & Family Connections

96 flashcards · Advanced · Language Learning

100+ authentic Vietnamese expressions for expats living in Vietnam or connecting with Vietnamese family. Master natural, colloquial phrases for social gatherings, family events, and building meaningful relationships. Learn how Vietnamese is actually spoken in homes and social settings, with cultural insights for deeper connections.

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Thôi, để con làm cho

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Family Conversations

Don't worry, let me do it

Thôi, để con làm cho

Pronunciation

toy, day kon lahm chaw

What you'll learn

Master 100+ essential Vietnamese conversational phrases
Speak naturally in social and family settings
Understand Vietnamese cultural nuances and customs
Build stronger relationships with Vietnamese speakers

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Family Conversations · 7

Thôi, để con làm cho/ toy, day kon lahm chaw /: Don't worry, let me do it
Bố mẹ cứ yên tâm/ boh meh koo yen tum /: You (parents) can rest assured
Nói đi nói lại/ noi dee noi lai /: To say it over and over again
Bàn đi tính lại/ bahn dee tin lai /: To discuss back and forth
dạ, con hiểu rồi/ ya, kon hee-oh zoy /: yes, I understand
Làm mình làm mẩy/ lahm min lahm may /: To be sulky and demanding
Chuyện đâu còn có đó/ chwen dow kon kaw daw /: There's a reason for everything / Let's deal with it calmly

Friendships · 7

Dạo này sao rồi?/ zao nai sao zoy? /: How have you been lately?
Để hôm nào cà phê nhé/ day home nao ka-feh nyeh /: Let's get coffee sometime
Khách sáo quá/ khak sao kwah /: You're being too formal/polite
Lâu rồi không gặp/ low zoy khong gap /: Long time no see
Đừng để bụng nhé/ dung day boong nyeh /: Don't take it to heart
Thích thì chiều/ thik thee chee-oh /: If you like it, I'll indulge you
Bằng tuổi/ bang too-oi /: Same age

Community Events · 3

Xin chia buồn cùng gia đình/ sin chee-ah boon koong zha din /: My condolences to the family
Năm mới an khang thịnh vượng/ nam moy an khang tin vuong /: New year with peace, health, and prosperity
Chúc mừng hạnh phúc hai bạn/ chook mung hanh fook hai ban /: Congratulations on your happiness

Expressing Opinions · 8

Em thấy cũng có lý/ em tay koong kaw lee /: I think that makes sense
Cái này cũng tùy/ kai nai koong twee /: This also depends
Tùy anh/chị thôi/ twee anh/chee toy /: It's up to you
Có đáng không?/ kaw dang khong? /: Is it worth it?
Cũng tuỳ người/ koong twee nguoy /: It also depends on the person
Nghĩ lại thì.../ nghee lai thee... /: On second thought...
Nói thì dễ, làm mới khó/ noi thee zeh, lahm moy khaw /: Easier said than done
Nói chung là.../ noi choong la... /: In general...

Expressing Feelings · 3

Thấy thương quá/ tay thuong kwah /: It's so pitiful / I feel so bad for them
Mệt chết đi được/ met chet dee duoc /: I'm dead tired
Ngại chết đi được/ ngai chet dee duoc /: I'm so embarrassed

Workplace & Colleagues · 9

Việc này cứ để em/ vee-ek nai koo day em /: Just leave this to me
Anh chị vất vả quá/ anh chee vut vah kwah /: You (older colleagues) have worked so hard
Để mai tính/ day mai tin /: Let's figure it out tomorrow
Để em xem sao/ day em sem sao /: Let me see what I can do
Vào vấn đề chính đi/ vow vun day chinh dee /: Get to the main point
Để tôi xem lại đã/ day toy sem lai da /: Let me double check first
Chín người mười ý/ chin nguoy muoy ee /: Too many cooks spoil the broth (lit: nine people, ten ideas)
Tan làm đi ăn gì không?/ tahn lahm dee an zee khong? /: Want to grab something to eat after work?
Trông cậy cả vào anh/chị/ trong kai ka vow anh/chee /: I'm counting on you

Everyday Life · 6

Ăn cơm chưa?/ an kerm chuh? /: Have you eaten yet?
Đi đâu đấy?/ dee dow day? /: Where are you going?
Cứ từ từ/ koo tuh tuh /: Just take it easy / slowly
Sao cũng được/ sao koong duoc /: Anything is fine
Nay ăn gì nhỉ?/ nai an zee nyee? /: What should we eat today?
Tiện thể/ tee-en theh /: While you're at it / By the way

Colloquialisms · 15

Biết chết liền/ bee-et chet lee-en /: I have no idea (literally: I'd die if I knew)
Chuyện nhỏ/ chuyen nyaw /: It's a small thing / No problem
Bó tay/ baw tai /: I give up / I'm helpless
Từ từ rồi khoai sẽ nhừ/ tuh tuh zoy kwai seh nyoo /: Patience will be rewarded (lit: slowly and the potato will be soft)
Chán như con gián/ chan nyoo kon zan /: Bored to death (lit: as bored as a cockroach)
Được của ló/ duoc koo-ah law /: Not bad / pretty good (sarcastic or genuine)
Làm ơn làm phước/ lahm un lahm fuoc /: For goodness sake / Please, I'm begging you
Nhìn mặt mà bắt hình dong/ nyin mat ma bat hin zong /: To judge a book by its cover
Buôn dưa lê/ boon zuh-ah leh /: To gossip
Làm gì có/ lahm zee kaw /: No way / That's not true
Thế là cùng/ theh la koong /: At worst / In the worst-case scenario
Không phải dạng vừa đâu/ khong fai zang vuh-ah dow /: Not an ordinary type / Not to be trifled with
Tới đâu hay tới đó/ toy dow hai toy daw /: Let's cross that bridge when we come to it
Nói trước bước không qua/ noi truoc buoc khong kwa /: Don't count your chickens before they hatch
Đến chịu/ den chee-oo /: I can't believe it / I'm speechless

Hospitality · 1

Cứ tự nhiên như ở nhà nhé/ koo too nyee-en nyoo uh nya nyeh /: Make yourself at home

Expressing Care · 4

Có gì cứ gọi em/ kaw zee koo goy em /: Just call me if you need anything
Đi cẩn thận nhé/ dee kun tun nyeh /: Be careful on your way
Mọi chuyện rồi sẽ ổn thôi/ moy chwen zoy seh own toy /: Everything will be okay
Nhớ giữ gìn sức khỏe nhé/ nyuh zoo zin suk kweh nyeh /: Remember to take care of your health

Politeness · 2

Phiền anh/chị quá/ fee-en anh/chee kwah /: Sorry to bother you so much
Không có gì đâu/ khong kaw zee dow /: It's nothing

Humility · 2

Cũng thường thôi/ koong thuong toy /: It's just average / so-so
Không dám, không dám/ khong zam, khong zam /: I dare not (a humble response to a compliment)

Expressing Agreement · 3

Đúng ý em luôn/ doong ee em loo-on /: That's exactly what I was thinking
Anh/chị nói chí phải/ anh/chee noi chee fai /: You are absolutely right
Nói hay lắm/ noi hai lum /: Well said

Conversational Fillers · 5

Vậy hả?/ vay ha? /: Oh, really?
Có thế thôi mà/ kaw theh toy ma /: It's just that simple
Nghe quen quen/ ngeh kwen kwen /: Sounds familiar
Thế nhé!/ theh nyeh! /: So that's settled!
Nghe nói là.../ ngeh noi la... /: I heard that...

Giving Advice · 5

Ăn nói cho cẩn thận/ an noi chaw kun tun /: Watch your mouth / Speak carefully
Khổ trước sướng sau/ khoh truoc suong sow /: Suffer first, be happy later
Có công mài sắt, có ngày nên kim/ kaw kong mai sat, kaw ngai nen kim /: Practice makes perfect (lit: If you have the effort to grind iron, you'll have the day it becomes a needle)
Mất lòng trước, được lòng sau/ mut long truoc, duoc long sow /: Better to be harsh but honest upfront than pleasant but deceitful later
Nghĩ thoáng ra một chút/ nghee thwang za mot choot /: Think more openly / Be more open-minded

Expressing Concern · 2

Có chuyện gì thế?/ kaw chwen zee theh? /: What's the matter?
To chuyện rồi/ taw chwen zoy /: This has become a big deal

Conflict Resolution · 3

Thôi, cho qua đi/ toy, chaw kwa dee /: Just let it go
Đừng chấp nó/ dung chap naw /: Don't mind him/her
Dĩ hòa vi quý/ zee hwa vee kwee /: Harmony is most precious

Family Values · 4

Gia đình là số một/ zha din la so mot /: Family is number one
Kính trên nhường dưới/ kinh chen nhuong zuoy /: Respect elders, yield to the young
Ăn chắc mặc bền/ an chak mak ben /: To be practical and durable (in consumption)
Mạnh khỏe là được rồi/ manh kweh la duoc zoy /: As long as you're healthy, that's all that matters

Encouragement · 1

Cứ làm tới đi/ koo lahm toy dee /: Just go for it

Social Dynamics · 3

Vào hùa/ vow hoo-ah /: To jump on the bandwagon / to gang up
Nói một đằng, làm một nẻo/ noi mot dang, lahm mot neh-oh /: To say one thing and do another
Có qua có lại/ kaw kwa kaw lai /: There should be reciprocity

Community Spirit · 1

Góp gió thành bão/ gop zaw tan bao /: Many small contributions make a large impact

Family Gatherings · 1

Mời cả nhà dùng bữa/ moy ka nya yoong buh-ah /: Please, everyone, start eating

Expressing Happiness · 1

Thế thì còn gì bằng/ theh thee kon zee bang /: Nothing could be better than that

Conversational Vietnamese for Expats & Family Connections

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Frequently asked questions

Why focus on conversational Vietnamese instead of formal language?

Conversational Vietnamese allows you to immediately connect with people on a personal level, fostering genuine relationships and understanding.

Are these phrases useful for both Northern and Southern Vietnamese dialects?

While some regional variations exist, the core phrases are widely understood and provide a solid foundation for conversation across Vietnam.

How can flashcards help me learn to speak Vietnamese fluently?

Spaced repetition with flashcards helps you memorize phrases and internalize pronunciation, leading to increased fluency and confidence in speaking.

Will I learn about Vietnamese culture as well as the language?

Yes! Each flashcard includes cultural insights and context to help you understand the nuances of Vietnamese communication and social customs.