Vietnamese phrases for expats

Your landlord is the chủ nhà. Before you sign the hợp đồng (contract), pin down the money. Rent is tiền nhà or tiền thuê nhà, and the deposit is tiền cọc, often one or two months' rent. In many rentals, electricity isn't billed at the official rate but at the landlord's own price per số, one unit on the meter (a kWh), while water is charged per khối (cubic metre) or per person. Ask before you agree, because it adds up fast once the aircon runs all day.

One piece of paperwork matters: as a foreigner, your address must be declared to the local police, known as tạm trú (temporary residence). Landlords usually handle it, but ask to make sure it's done.

Grab, Be and Xanh SM are the main ride-hailing apps, and their drivers often phone you when they're close. The call will be in Vietnamese, and it's almost always the same question: where exactly are you?

Answer the phone with Alo, then give a landmark: the gate, a convenience store, a café. If you'll be a minute, say so; if you're on the back of the bike and it's too fast, say that too.

Everything gets delivered in Vietnam: food through GrabFood or ShopeeFood, parcels from Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop. The delivery rider is a shipper, the English word, and they'll call when they arrive. Many apartment buildings don't let shippers go upstairs, so you either go down or ask them to leave it with the guard (bảo vệ) or reception (lễ tân).

Online orders are often paid in cash on delivery, so have small notes ready, or tell the shipper you've already paid by transfer.

A repairman is a thợ: thợ điện (electrician), thợ sửa ống nước (plumber), thợ máy lạnh (aircon technician). The aircon itself is điều hòa in the North and máy lạnh in the South, and getting it cleaned every few months (vệ sinh máy lạnh) is a standard service, cheap and worth doing.

Two words change with the region. Broken is hỏng in the North and hư in the South; a blocked drain is tắc in the North and nghẹt in the South. Agree on the price before the work starts, and ask when they can come.

Neighbours often skip a plain hello and ask Ăn cơm chưa? (eaten yet?) or Đi đâu đấy? (where are you off to?). These are greetings, not questions that need a full answer: a smile and a short reply is perfect.

Use the right family word: cô or chú for neighbours your parents' age, bác for older ones, and call yourself cháu. Our introductions phrasebook has the full set of greetings by age. The security guard is usually chú bảo vệ or anh bảo vệ, and worth befriending: guards tend to know everything that goes on in the building.

If a tent goes up in your alley for a wedding or a funeral, it's normal for it to take over the lane for a day or two.

The chợ is where many locals buy meat, fish, vegetables and fruit, and it's often fresher and cheaper than the supermarket. Go early for the best choice. Prices are per kilo: cân in the North, ký in the South. Ask before the seller starts weighing.

Become a regular at one or two stalls and things get easier: sellers remember you, throw in herbs and help you choose. If you need a refresher on prices, see our guide to Vietnamese numbers.

International clinics in Hanoi, Saigon and Da Nang have English-speaking staff, but at a local clinic or public hospital you'll need some Vietnamese. You usually take a number (lấy số) at reception and wait to be called. Learn how to say what hurts and whether you have insurance.

For minor problems, many people go straight to a pharmacy: nhà thuốc (on most signs) or hiệu thuốc in the North. Pharmacists are used to helping with simple complaints. In an emergency, the ambulance number is 115.