How to say hello in Vietnamese

Xin chào is polite and neutral. It's what you'll see on signs, hear in announcements, and say to a group or a room. Xin adds politeness, as in xin lỗi (sorry) and xin cảm ơn (thank you).

Said to one person face to face, though, a bare xin chào can sound like a textbook or a hotel lobby. It's never rude, so use it while you're unsure, then move on to chào plus a pronoun.

The everyday hello is chào followed by the word for the person you're greeting. That word depends on their age compared with yours, as our guide to Vietnamese pronouns explains.

To sound a little more polite, put your own pronoun first and ạ at the end: Em chào anh ạ. That's how a junior colleague greets a senior one, or how you'd greet a friend's older brother.

Not sure how old they are? With someone who looks about your age, Chào bạn is safe. With anyone older, make a guess and lean young: calling a woman chị rather than cô is the kinder mistake, and people will simply tell you what to call them if you get it wrong.

With anyone your parents' age or older, the formula is: your pronoun (cháu), chào, their pronoun, then ạ. It sounds long, but it's exactly what Vietnamese children learn to say, and older people notice when a foreigner gets it right.

You'll hear parents prompt their kids with Con chào bà đi (Say hello to Grandma). In the South, people often say con instead of cháu, which sounds warmer. A small nod of the head as you say it completes the greeting.

Many Vietnamese greetings are questions that aren't really questions. Ăn cơm chưa? (Have you eaten yet?) is a friendly how are you, not an invitation to lunch. Đi đâu đấy? (Where are you off to?) is friendly too, not nosy.

Answer briefly. Ăn rồi (I have) or Chưa (Not yet) is fine for the first, and a vague Đi có việc (Off on an errand) or Đi chơi (Just going out) works for the second. Nobody expects details.

Khỏe không? (How are you?) is used too, mostly with people you haven't seen for a while. Answer Khỏe, cảm ơn (Good, thanks) and bounce it back with Còn anh? or Còn chị? (And you?).

With friends, you'll often skip chào and just say the person's name with ơi: Lan ơi! It's how you call someone, and also how you say hi as they walk in.

Ê is a casual hey between friends. It's fine with people your age or younger, but rude to elders, strangers or staff.

Young people in cities also say hi or hello, often spelled the Vietnamese way in messages: hế lô. In group chats you'll see Chào mn!, short for Chào mọi người (Hi everyone). In private messages, a hello is often just the name with ơi and the real question: Lan ơi, rảnh không? (Lan, are you free?).

On the phone, everyone answers with alo (also written a lô). It works for any caller, from your boss to a delivery driver.

Staff will often greet you first, with Em chào anh ạ or Em chào chị ạ in nicer places, or a quick Dạ, anh cần gì ạ? (What can I get you?) at the counter. You don't need a formal hello back: a smile and your order is normal, and Chào em is a friendly reply if they're younger than you.

In restaurants you'll hear Mấy người ạ? (How many people?) as you walk in. At work, greet colleagues with chào plus their pronoun, and your boss with your own pronoun first and ạ at the end. When you meet someone new, add rất vui được gặp (nice to meet you).

Phrasebooks often list chào buổi sáng for good morning. It exists, but in daily life it sounds translated from English. Most people just say chào, whatever the time of day.

Chào also means goodbye, so Chào anh works when you leave as well. Tạm biệt is the clear, slightly formal goodbye, and Hẹn gặp lại (see you again) is warmer. With friends in the South, Bye nha! is very common.

Leaving a gathering with older people or your boss? Ask permission to go first: Em xin phép về trước ạ. It's polite, and it shows you know the culture.

Next, learn the other word you'll use all day, thank you in Vietnamese. The Introductions phrasebook in the easy1000words app has the greetings on this page with audio, plus small talk and practice.