Tiếng Việt(Vietnamese)

/hiến pháp/

Constitution: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/dân chủ/

Democracy: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/công lý/

Justice: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/quốc hội/

Parliament: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/quyền cơ bản/

Fundamental Rights: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/tòa án tối cao/

Supreme Court: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/kinh tế/

Economy: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/thuế/

Tax: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/lạm phát/

Inflation: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/GDP/

GDP: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/bầu cử/

Election: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/tham nhũng/

Corruption: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/giáo dục/

Education: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/sức khỏe/

Health: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/nông nghiệp/

Agriculture: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/công nghiệp/

Industry: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/tự do/

Freedom: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/bình đẳng/

Equality: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/môi trường/

Environment: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/văn hóa/

Culture: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/ngôn ngữ/

Language: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/lịch sử/

History: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/chính trị/

Politics: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/ngân sách/

Budget: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/nghèo đói/

Poverty: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/dân số/

Population: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/công bằng xã hội/

Social Justice: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/quyền công dân/

Citizenship: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/phát triển/

Development: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/chủ quyền/

Sovereignty: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/ngoại giao/

Diplomacy: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/nhân quyền/

Human Rights: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/phát triển bền vững/

Sustainable Development: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/toàn cầu hóa/

Globalisation: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/đổi mới/

Innovation: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/công nghệ/

Technology: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/liên hợp quốc/

United Nations: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/cải cách/

Reform: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/hòa bình/

Peace: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/đa dạng/

Diversity: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/thương mại/

Trade: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/đầu tư/

Investment: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/thất nghiệp/

Unemployment: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/chính sách tài khóa/

Fiscal Policy: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/chính sách tiền tệ/

Monetary Policy: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/phân quyền/

Separation of Powers: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/nhà nước phúc lợi/

Welfare State: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/chủ tịch nước/

President: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/thủ tướng/

Prime Minister: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/liên bang/

Federalism: a key concept in governance, law, and public administration.

/xin chào/

The standard polite Vietnamese greeting, used at any time of day.

/chào buổi sáng/

A morning greeting; in everyday speech Vietnamese often just say chào plus a pronoun.

/chào buổi tối/

A greeting used in the evening.

/chúc ngủ ngon/

Said before going to bed, literally wish you sleep well.

/tạm biệt/

The standard farewell.

/cảm ơn/

The standard expression of gratitude.

/không có gì/

The standard reply to thanks, literally it is nothing.

/xin lỗi/

An apology, also used to get someone's attention politely.

/vâng/

A polite affirmative answer, used in the north; the south says dạ.

/không/

A negative answer; also negates verbs.

/bạn khỏe không/

A common question asking about wellbeing, literally are you healthy.

/khỏe/

In good health; the standard reply to how are you.

/tôi tên là/

Used to introduce yourself by name.

/rất vui được gặp bạn/

Said when meeting someone for the first time.

/chào mừng/

Used to welcome guests or new arrivals.

/chúc may mắn/

A wish for success.

/một hai ba dô/

The fun Vietnamese toast: count one, two, three, then shout dô!

/tôi không hiểu/

A useful phrase for learners when something is unclear.

/một/

The number one.

/hai/

The number two.

/ba/

The number three; in the south the same word means dad.

/bốn/

The number four.

/năm/

The number five; the same word also means year.

/sáu/

The number six.

/bảy/

The number seven.

/tám/

The number eight.

/chín/

The number nine; the same word also means ripe or cooked.

/mười/

The number ten.

/trăm/

The number one hundred.

/nghìn/

The number one thousand; the south says ngàn.

/hôm nay/

The present day.

/ngày mai/

The day after today.

/hôm qua/

The day before today.

/bây giờ/

At the present moment.

/giờ/

A period of sixty minutes, or the time of day.

/phút/

A period of sixty seconds.

/tuần/

A period of seven days.

/gia đình/

A group of people related by blood or marriage; central to Vietnamese life.

/mẹ/

A female parent; the south often says má.

/bố/

A male parent in northern Vietnamese; the south says ba.

/anh trai/

Vietnamese distinguishes older and younger siblings; anh means older male.

/chị gái/

An older female sibling.

/em trai/

A younger male sibling; em means younger sibling.

/em gái/

A younger female sibling.

/con trai/

A male child.

/con gái/

A female child.

/ông/

A grandfather; also a respectful pronoun for older men.

/bà/

A grandmother; also a respectful pronoun for older women.

/chồng/

The man a woman is married to.

/vợ/

The woman a man is married to.

/trẻ em/

Young people in general.

/bạn/

A friend; also the neutral pronoun you for people your age.

/đàn ông/

An adult male person.

/phụ nữ/

An adult female person.

/giáo viên/

A person who teaches; teachers are deeply respected in Vietnam.

/nước/

The liquid essential for life; the same word also means country.

/trà/

A drink made from tea leaves; iced tea, trà đá, is everywhere in Vietnam.

/cà phê/

Vietnam is the world's second-largest coffee producer; try cà phê sữa đá.

/cơm/

The staple food; an cơm, eating rice, simply means having a meal.

/phở/

Vietnam's iconic rice-noodle soup with beef or chicken.

/bánh mì/

Bread, and the famous Vietnamese baguette sandwich.

/thịt/

The flesh of animals eaten as food.

/gà/

A chicken, or chicken meat.

/cá/

An animal that lives in water; fish sauce, nước mắm, defines Vietnamese cooking.

/trứng/

An egg laid by a hen, a common breakfast food.

/rau/

Vegetables and the fresh herbs served with most Vietnamese meals.

/trái cây/

Sweet plant foods; Vietnam grows wonderful tropical fruit.

/xoài/

A sweet tropical fruit, eaten ripe or green with chili salt.

/sữa/

A white drink; condensed milk sweetens Vietnamese coffee.

/nước ép/

A drink made from pressed fruit.

/đường/

A sweet substance; the same word also means road.

/muối/

A white substance used to season food.

/bữa sáng/

The first meal of the day, often pho or banh mi from a street stall.

/bữa trưa/

The meal eaten in the middle of the day.

/bữa tối/

The meal eaten in the evening, usually shared by the whole family.

/sân bay/

A place where airplanes take off and land.

/máy bay/

A flying vehicle, literally flying machine.

/tàu hỏa/

A connected line of carriages; the north-south railway links Hanoi and Saigon.

/ga/

A train station, from the French word gare.

/xe buýt/

A large road vehicle that carries many passengers.

/taxi/

A car you pay to be driven somewhere in.

/xe máy/

The king of Vietnamese roads — tens of millions fill the streets.

/khách sạn/

A place where travelers pay to stay overnight.

/nhà hàng/

A place where you pay to eat meals; street food stalls are quán ăn.

/thành phố/

A large town where many people live and work.

/làng/

A small settlement in the countryside.

/hộ chiếu/

An official document needed for traveling abroad.

/vé/

A piece of paper that allows you to travel or enter a place.

/bản đồ/

A drawing showing streets, cities, or countries.

/ngân hàng/

A place where people keep and borrow money.

/chợ/

A traditional market; Bến Thành in Saigon and Đồng Xuân in Hanoi are famous.

/bãi biển/

A sandy shore by the sea; Vietnam has over 3,000 km of coastline.

/du lịch/

To go on a journey for pleasure.

/mặt trời/

The star that gives Earth light and warmth, literally face of the sky.

/mặt trăng/

The bright object in the night sky; the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates it.

/ngôi sao/

A point of light in the night sky; also means a celebrity.

/bầu trời/

The space above the earth where clouds and stars appear.

/biển/

The large body of salt water along Vietnam's long coast.

/sông/

A large natural stream of water; the Mekong and Red River shape Vietnam.

/núi/

A very high hill; Fansipan is the highest peak in Indochina.

/rừng/

A large area covered with trees.

/cây/

A tall plant with a trunk, branches, and leaves.

/hoa/

The colorful blossom of a plant; the lotus is Vietnam's national flower.

/mưa/

Water that falls from clouds; the rainy season brings daily downpours.

/tuyết/

Soft white frozen water; it occasionally falls in Sa Pa's mountains.

/gió/

Moving air that you can feel.

/thời tiết/

The condition of the air, such as sun, rain, or wind.

/động vật/

A living creature such as a dog, bird, or fish.

/mèo/

A small pet animal that meows.

/cơ thể/

The whole physical structure of a person.

/đầu/

The top part of the body containing the brain and face.

/mắt/

The part of the body used for seeing.

/tai/

The part of the body used for hearing.

/mũi/

The part of the face used for smelling and breathing.

/miệng/

The part of the face used for eating and speaking.

/tay/

The upper limb, covering both hand and arm in everyday speech.

/chân/

The lower limb used for walking.

/tim/

The organ that pumps blood, also used for feelings.

/tóc/

The hair on a person's head.

/bụng/

The front part of the body below the chest.

/bác sĩ/

A person trained to treat sick people.

/bệnh viện/

A place where sick people are treated.

/thuốc/

Something you take to treat an illness.

/ốm/

Ill, not in good health; in the south it can mean thin.

/công việc/

A job, or the activity of working.

/công ty/

A business organization that sells goods or services.

/văn phòng/

A room or building where people work at desks.

/sếp/

The person in charge at work, from the French word chef.

/đồng nghiệp/

A person you work with.

/cuộc họp/

An occasion when people come together to discuss something.

/tiền/

Coins and banknotes; the Vietnamese currency is the đồng.

/lương/

The money you receive regularly for your work.

/máy tính/

An electronic machine, literally calculating machine.

/điện thoại/

A device used for calling and messaging people.

/nghề nghiệp/

The type of work a person is trained to do.

/dự án/

A planned piece of work with a clear goal.

/khách hàng/

A person who buys goods or services.

/hợp đồng/

A formal written agreement.

/giám đốc/

The person who leads a company.

/nhà máy/

A building where goods are made with machines.

/sách/

Written pages bound together for reading.

/âm nhạc/

Sounds arranged in a pleasing way, made by voices or instruments.

/phim/

A story shown in moving pictures.

/nghệ thuật/

Painting, sculpture, and other creative work; water puppetry is uniquely Vietnamese.

/bảo tàng/

A building where important objects and art are shown.

/lễ hội/

A special time of celebration.

/Tết/

The Vietnamese Lunar New Year, the biggest holiday of the year.

/tôn giáo/

Belief in and worship of a god or gods.

/chính phủ/

The group of people who rule a country.

/tin tức/

Reports about recent events.

/truyền thống/

A custom passed down through generations.

/là/

To be something or someone; used with nouns.

/có/

To own or possess something; also expresses existence.

/đi/

To move from one place to another.

/đến/

To move toward a place or arrive there.

/ăn/

To put food in your mouth; ăn cơm means to have a meal.

/uống/

To take liquid into your mouth and swallow it.

/thấy/

To notice with your eyes; also to feel or find something a certain way.

/nghe/

To notice sounds with your ears.

/nói/

To say words, to talk.

/đọc/

To look at words and understand them.

/viết/

To form letters and words on paper or a screen.

/mua/

To get something by paying money; the same sound as rain with a different tone.

/bán/

To give something in exchange for money.

/làm/

To perform an action or create something.

/làm việc/

To do a job, literally to do work.

/nghĩ/

To use your mind to form ideas or opinions.

/muốn/

To wish for or desire something.

/yêu/

To feel deep affection for someone.

/thích/

To find something pleasant or enjoyable.

/học/

To gain knowledge or skill.

/biết/

To have information or skill in your mind.

/quen/

To be familiar with a person, or accustomed to something.

/cho/

To hand something to someone; also means for.

/lấy/

To pick something up or accept it; also means to marry.

/tìm/

To try to find something.

/giúp/

To make something easier for someone.

/bắt đầu/

To start doing something.

/kết thúc/

To bring something to an end.

/tốt/

Of high quality or pleasant.

/xấu/

Of poor quality, or not pleasing to look at.

/to/

Of great size; lớn is a common synonym.

/nhỏ/

Of little size.

/mới/

Recently made or bought.

/cũ/

Having existed for a long time; for people use già.

/trẻ/

Not old, in an early stage of life.

/cao/

Of great height.

/thấp/

Of little height.

/dài/

Of great length; the áo dài is the long Vietnamese dress.

/ngắn/

Of little length or duration.

/nóng/

Having a high temperature.

/lạnh/

Having a low temperature.

/nhanh/

Moving or happening quickly.

/chậm/

Moving or happening without speed.

/đắt/

Costing a lot of money; the south says mắc.

/rẻ/

Costing little money.

/đẹp/

Very pleasing to look at.

/dễ/

Not difficult to do or understand.

/khó/

Hard to do or understand.

/quan trọng/

Having great value or significance.

/sạch/

Free from dirt.

/gì/

Used to ask about things, placed at the end of the question.

/ai/

Used to ask about people.

/ở đâu/

Used to ask about places, placed at the end of the question.

/khi nào/

Used to ask about time; at the start it asks about the future, at the end the past.

/tại sao/

Used to ask about reasons.

/thế nào/

Used to ask about manner or condition.

/bao nhiêu/

Used to ask about quantity or price — essential for markets.

/cái nào/

Used to ask about a choice between things.

/của ai/

Used to ask about ownership.

/phải không/

Placed at the end of a sentence to ask for confirmation.

/nhà/

A building where people live, or your home.

/căn hộ/

A set of rooms for living in, part of a larger building.

/bếp/

The room where food is prepared.

/phòng tắm/

The room with a bath or shower.

/phòng ngủ/

The room where you sleep.

/cửa/

The entrance to a room or building.

/cửa sổ/

An opening in a wall with glass that lets in light.

/bàn/

A piece of furniture with a flat top.

/ghế/

A seat with a back for one person.

/giường/

A piece of furniture for sleeping.

/ngủ/

To rest with your eyes closed at night.

/quần áo/

Things you wear, literally trousers and shirts.

/giày/

Footwear; removed before entering a Vietnamese home.

/chìa khóa/

A metal object used to open locks.

/đồng hồ/

A device that shows the time.

/tivi/

A device for watching programmes, from the English TV.

/đèn/

A device that gives light; Hoi An's lantern-lit streets are famous.

/túi/

A container for carrying things, or a pocket.

/nấu ăn/

To prepare food by heating it.

/mua sắm/

To buy things for pleasure or daily needs.

/vui/

Feeling pleasure and joy; also describes something enjoyable.

/buồn/

Feeling unhappy.

/tức giận/

Feeling strong displeasure.

/sợ/

Feeling fear.

/mệt/

Needing rest after work or activity.

/đói/

Feeling the need to eat.

/khát/

Feeling the need to drink.

/lo lắng/

Feeling anxious about something.

/chán/

Feeling tired because something is not interesting.

/hào hứng/

Feeling very happy and full of anticipation.

/tình yêu/

A deep feeling of affection.

/hy vọng/

The feeling that something good will happen; also used as a verb.

/hạnh phúc/

The state of feeling happy; also used as an adjective.