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How to bargain in Vietnamese
The Vietnamese phrases for haggling at markets, how to hear prices like 'một trăm rưỡi', polite tactics that work, and when not to bargain at all.
- 31 phrases to hear
- 6 min read
- Updated November 1, 2026
- Ở chợ Bến Thành, bạn nên mặc cả.At Ben Thanh Market, you should bargain.
- bán đúng giáFixed price (lit. we sell at the right price)
- nói tháchTo quote an inflated price
Bargaining in Vietnam is a conversation, not a fight. At markets, souvenir stalls and with street vendors, the first price is often an opening line, and a smile plus a few words of Vietnamese will get you further than any hard-nosed tactic. Asking in Vietnamese changes the tone of the whole exchange: it shows you've made an effort, and sellers usually enjoy the game more.
This guide gives you the phrases for each step, from asking the price to closing the deal, a crash course in hearing prices, what sellers say back, and the places where you shouldn't haggle at all.
Where to bargain, and where not to
Bargain at traditional markets (chợ), night markets, souvenir and clothing stalls, and with anyone selling without price tags. It's also normal for a xe ôm or a boat trip you arrange on the spot rather than through an app.
Don't bargain in supermarkets, malls, convenience stores, chain shops or anywhere with printed prices. Street food and drinks are priced for locals and already cheap; haggling over a bowl of noodles comes across as mean. Ride-hailing apps set the fare, so there's nothing to discuss. Some market stalls hang a sign saying bán đúng giá, which means the price is fixed.
- mặc cảTo bargain, to haggleSouth: trả giá.
- Ở chợ Bến Thành, bạn nên mặc cả.At Ben Thanh Market, you should bargain.
- bán đúng giáFixed price (lit. we sell at the right price)Seen on signs at markets and shops.
- nói tháchTo quote an inflated priceWhat sellers do when they expect you to haggle.
Ask the price
Start friendly. Greet the seller with 'chào chị' or 'chào anh', pick the item up, and ask. Look around a few stalls before you buy anything: in a market where twenty stalls sell the same T-shirt, you'll learn the going rate in five minutes.
If you're not sure you caught the number, ask the seller to type it on a calculator or phone. Many do this anyway with foreigners, and it removes any confusion about zeros.
- Bao nhiêu tiền?How much is it?
- Cái này bao nhiêu tiền, chị?How much is this one?To a woman seller; anh for a man.
- Chị bấm máy tính cho em xem nhé.Could you type it on the calculator for me?Em: you're speaking to someone older.
- Hết bao nhiêu tiền?How much altogether?When you're buying several things.
Understand the answer: numbers and price slang
Prices in Vietnam have a lot of zeros, so sellers drop the thousands. 'Hai trăm' at a market means 200,000 dong, not 200. Thousand is nghìn in the North and ngàn in the South, and on signs and in texts it's written k: 50k is 50,000.
A few shortcuts you'll hear: rưỡi means 'and a half', so 'một trăm rưỡi' is 150,000. Chục means ten, and at markets, especially in the South, 'ba chục' is 30,000. Slang for 100,000 is xị in the South and lít in the North, and củ means a million. If Vietnamese numbers are new to you, our guide to Vietnamese numbers covers them properly.
- Cái này giá hai trăm nghìn.This costs two hundred thousand.
- Cái này giá năm mươi ngàn.This costs fifty thousand dong.Ngàn is the Southern word.
- Cái áo này giá một trăm rưỡi.This shirt is a hundred and fifty thousand.
- Tất cả là hai trăm nghìn.That's two hundred thousand in total.
- năm xị500,000 dongSouthern slang; one xị is 100,000.
- hai lít200,000 dongNorthern slang; one lít is 100,000.
Make your offer
React to the price with a gentle 'đắt quá' (that's expensive) and a smile, then name your number. There's no magic percentage. At a tourist stall the first price may be well above what you'll end up paying, while at a neighbourhood market it's often close to fair already, and a small discount is all there is.
Buying more than one thing is your best lever: 'I'm buying two' is the most natural reason to ask for a better price. Keep it playful. Laughing, shaking your head and counting on your fingers are all part of the routine.
A typical exchange at a clothes stall sounds like this:
You: 'Cái này bao nhiêu tiền, chị?'
Seller: 'Ba trăm em.' (300,000)
You: 'Đắt quá! Hai trăm được không?'
Seller: 'Hai trăm rưỡi.' (250,000)
You: 'Em lấy hai cái, bốn trăm nhé?' (two for 400,000?)
Seller: 'Thôi được rồi.'
- Đắt quá!That's too expensive!South: Mắc quá!
- Giá này hơi đắt.This price is a bit high.A softer way to push back.
- Đắt quá! Một trăm nghìn được không?Too expensive! How about 100,000?Swap in your own price.
- Bớt cho tôi đi.Give me a discount, please.
- Bớt chút đi chị!Knock a bit off!Casual, to a woman seller; anh for a man.
- Chị bớt cho tôi đi, tôi mua hai cái.Knock a bit off, I'm buying two.
What the seller will say back
Sellers have their own lines, and recognising them is half the fun. Most of them mean 'I can't go any lower', and occasionally that's even true. If the seller holds firm and you still want the thing, meet in the middle.
Once a price is agreed, buy. Walking away after the seller has accepted your offer is bad form, and it's the one move that really does annoy people.
- Lỗ vốn rồi em ơi!I'm losing money here!A classic, rarely meant literally.
- Giá gốc rồi đó.That's already cost price.
- Chị lấy mấy cái?How many would you like?A good sign: they're ready to deal.
- Thôi được rồi.Oh, all right then.What you hope to hear: the seller agrees.
Walk away politely, or close the deal
The polite walk-away is your strongest move. Say thank you, put the item down and step away slowly. If your offer was reasonable, you'll often hear the seller call you back. If not, no hard feelings; the next stall probably sells the same thing.
When you agree, pay with small notes if you can. Pulling out a 500,000 note right after haggling over 20,000 undercuts your case, and stalls often can't change it. Count your change too: the blue 20,000 and 500,000 notes look alike at a glance. Then leave on a nice note. Wishing the seller good business is a small thing that gets a big smile.
- Thôi, cảm ơn.No thanks.The soft walk-away.
- Thôi, để em xem thêm.Never mind, I'll look around a bit more.Em when the seller is older than you.
- Tôi lấy cái này.I'll take this one.
- Chị đổi giúp em tờ năm trăm nghìn nhé.Could you break a 500,000 note for me?
- Chúc chị đắt hàng nhé!Hope business is good today!A lovely way to leave; anh for a man.
Market manners that matter
One local belief is worth knowing. The first sale of the day, mở hàng, is thought to set a seller's luck for the rest of it. Early in the morning, a customer who haggles hard and then leaves without buying is seen as bad luck, so if you're the first person at a stall, either buy or browse lightly. You may even hear a seller ask you to be their first customer.
Don't haggle for sport over tiny sums, especially with elderly street vendors; 5,000 dong matters more to them than to you. And if a tourist price stings, remember it isn't personal. Stay friendly, keep it in Vietnamese, and the whole thing becomes a lot more fun. For the rest of your trip, our basic Vietnamese phrases for travelers cover the airport, rides, hotels and emergencies, and the Travel phrasebook in the app has the key market lines recorded so you can practise before you go.
- mở hàngThe first sale of the dayBelieved to bring the seller luck.
- Mở hàng cho chị đi em!Be my first customer of the day!What a seller may say early in the morning.
Questions
Is bargaining rude in Vietnam?
Not at markets and street stalls, where it's expected and often enjoyed. It's out of place in shops with printed prices, supermarkets, restaurants and for cheap street food. Tone matters more than the number: friendly haggling is fine, arguing isn't.
How much should I offer when bargaining in Vietnam?
There's no fixed rule. At tourist stalls, start well below the first price and expect to meet somewhere in the middle; at local markets prices are usually closer to fair, so ask for a small discount. Check a few stalls first so you know the going rate.
How do you say 'too expensive' in Vietnamese?
Đắt quá in the North and mắc quá in the South. Both are understood everywhere. Add the seller's title to soften it and make it friendly: 'Đắt quá chị ơi!'
How do you ask for a discount in Vietnamese?
'Bớt cho tôi đi' is the classic market line. To an older woman, 'Chị bớt cho em đi' sounds warmer. In a shop where haggling is less usual, the politer 'Giảm giá cho tôi được không?' (can you give me a discount?) works better.
Can I bargain with Grab or taxi drivers?
Not on Grab or other apps: the fare is fixed in the app. Metered taxis run on the meter. For a xe ôm or cyclo you hire on the street, agree the price before you get on, and check whether it's per person and one way or return.