easy1000words / Vietnamese guides / Slang, texting and swear words
Vietnamese slang you'll actually hear
50 Vietnamese slang words with audio, from nhậu and xỉn to chảnh and toang: what each means, how common it is, and whether it's Saigon or Hanoi.
- 50 phrases to hear
- 6 min read
- Updated November 1, 2026
- quá trờiso much, extremely
- chém gióto talk big, shoot the breeze
- keo kiệtstingy
Textbook Vietnamese gets you a bowl of phở. Slang gets you into the conversation at the next table. Here are 50 words you'll hear every day in Saigon and Hanoi: in cafés, around a nhậu table, in the office group chat and from your Grab driver.
Each one comes with its meaning, a quick example and a note on how common it is and where. Saigon and Hanoi share most slang, but a few words mark you straight away as a Southerner or a Northerner. For the bigger picture, see Northern vs Southern Vietnamese.
One rule before you start: slang is for friends, colleagues your age and people younger than you. With elders, officials or your landlord's mother, plain polite Vietnamese works better.
Reactions you'll hear all day
These small words carry everyday conversation. They're safe with friends and colleagues, and most are fine around older people too if your tone is warm.
The Southern ones (ghê, quá trời, ủa) are worth learning even if you live in Hanoi. Much of Vietnam's entertainment industry is based in Saigon, so people everywhere know them from TV, YouTube and TikTok.
- ghêreally, soVery common, Southern flavour. Đẹp ghê! = so pretty. On its own it can mean creepy.
- quá trờiso much, extremelySouthern, very common. Đông quá trời! = so crowded!
- ủahuh? wait, what?Southern, constant. Opens a surprised question: Ủa, sao vậy?
- chuẩnexactly! spot onEverywhere. Just say Chuẩn! to agree with someone.
- sướngso good, lucky youEverywhere. For a day off, a cold drink or a good massage.
- cựcsuper, extremelyEverywhere. Ngon cực! = super tasty. Siêu works the same way.
- bó tayI give up, hopelessEverywhere. Literally 'tie my hands'. Online: bó tay.com.
- hên xuihit or miss, down to luckSouthern, understood everywhere. Hên = lucky, xui = unlucky.
Practise these 8 in the app, free
Tip Put ghê or quá trời after any adjective (ngon ghê, nóng quá trời) and you instantly sound like you live in Saigon.
Good, bad and boring
Vietnamese has a whole scale for rating things, from food and phones to films and people. Young people say đỉnh for anything great. Older speakers are more likely to say tuyệt (great) or ngon lành (good, sorted), so match the word to the company.
On the negative side, nhạt is worth knowing: it's what people say about a bland soup, a boring date or a group chat that has gone quiet.
- xịntop quality, the real dealEverywhere. Hàng xịn = the genuine article, not a fake.
- đỉnhawesome, the bestVery common with young people. Đỉnh thật! = That's amazing!
- chấtcool, stylishCommon. Áo này chất ghê = this shirt is so cool.
- ngầucool, badassCommon. For bikes, outfits and attitude.
- sếncheesy, cornyEverywhere. For soppy love songs and pickup lines.
- nhạtbland, boringEverywhere. Food first, then dull people: nhạt như nước ốc.
- toangit's over, we're doomedVery common, all ages online. Toang rồi! = We're screwed!
People and personalities
Gossip needs vocabulary. These words describe the show-off, the liar, the snob and the joker. Between friends they're teasing. Said about someone who isn't there, they're criticism, so pick your audience.
The lying words show the regional split nicely: a Saigon friend will tell you xạo quá!, a Hanoi friend điêu thế!
- chảnhstuck-up, snobbyEverywhere. For someone who won't reply or acts superior.
- nổto brag, talk bigSouthern, very common. Literally 'to explode'.
- chém gióto talk big, shoot the breezeEverywhere. Literally 'to slash the wind'.
- xạoto lie, talk nonsenseSouthern, constant. Xạo quá! = You liar!
- điêulying, a liarNorthern for xạo. Điêu thế! = You're making it up!
- lầya joker who takes it too farYoung people, usually affectionate. Also nhây.
- keo kiệtstingyEverywhere. Often just keo: Keo quá!
- sống ảoliving for social mediaEverywhere. Literally 'living virtually': the endless photo shoot.
- con nhà người tathe perfect kid your parents compare you toEverywhere. Literally 'other people's child'. Said with a sigh.
- támto chat, to gossipEverywhere. Literally 'eight'. Ngồi tám = sit and gossip.
Going out, eating and drinking
Nhậu is drinking with friends and food: beer by the crate, grilled snacks, plastic stools, often for hours. It's a big part of social life and even work life, and it comes with its own vocabulary.
Toasts happen again and again through the evening, and you're expected to join each one. If you'd rather not empty your glass every time, say Em uống ít thôi nhé (I'll just have a little) with a smile, using em if you're younger than the group. People accept it.
- nhậuto drink with friends (and food)Everywhere. Đi nhậu không? = Drinks?
- Một, hai, ba, dô!One, two, three, cheers!The group toast. Dô is also written zô or dzô.
- Trăm phần trăm!Bottoms up! (literally 100%)Empty your glass. You'll hear it many times a night.
- xỉndrunkSouthern. Elsewhere: say. Xỉn rồi! = I'm drunk!
- kèoa plan, an outingYoung people. Tối nay có kèo gì không? = Any plans tonight?
- Bữa nay anh baoToday's on meSouthern bao = to treat. Northern: khao. Swap anh for your own pronoun.
- chillto relax, hang outYoung people, everywhere. Đi đâu chill không?
- cà phê bệtpavement coffee, sitting lowSaigon. Literally 'sitting-on-the-ground coffee'.
- trà chanh chém giólime tea and chit-chatHanoi. Iced lime tea on tiny stools, plus gossip.
- đi bãoto celebrate in the streetsEverywhere, after a big football win. Literally 'to go storming'.
Money talk
Prices in Vietnam come with lots of zeros, so people shorten them. You'll hear these at markets, on Facebook Marketplace and in every chat about rent and salaries. In writing, k means thousand and tr means million: a 300k dinner is 300,000 dong. For counting and prices in full, see Vietnamese numbers.
- Má ơi, sao mắc dữ vậy?Jeez, why's it so expensive?Pure Saigon: má ơi, mắc and dữ vậy in one line. Hanoi: Sao đắt thế!
- của million dongEverywhere, casual. Hai củ = 2 million. Written 2tr.
- lít100,000 dongMostly Northern. Năm lít = 500,000.
- xị100,000 dongSouthern for lít. Also a small bottle of rice wine.
- chặt chémto rip people offEverywhere. Literally 'chop and slash'. Said of overpriced tourist spots.
- viêm màng túibroke (literally 'pocket inflammation')Jokey, everywhere. Also cháy túi: a burnt pocket.
Teasing your friends
Close friends tease each other constantly, and these are the gentle ones: the you idiot you say with a grin. They're also where the North-South divide shows most. A Saigon friend will call you khùng, a Hanoi friend hâm or dở hơi.
- khùngnuts, crazySouthern, playful. Bộ khùng hả? = Are you nuts?
- hâma bit nutsNorthern teasing word. Hâm à? = Are you mad?
- dở hơidaftNorthern. The jokey rhyme: dở hơi biết bơi.
- não cá vànggoldfish brainEverywhere. People say it about themselves too.
- xàmnonsense, talking rubbishSouthern, huge online. Nói xàm = to talk rubbish.
Love and dating slang
Young Vietnamese have a rich vocabulary for crushes, flirting and being single, and much of it started online before it reached everyday speech. These four you'll hear from all ages.
For the newer, TikTok-born words, see Vietnamese Gen Z slang. For everything from a first hello to a breakup, the dating phrasebook in the app has recordings and quick practice.
- bồboyfriend or girlfriendEverywhere, casual. Có bồ chưa? = Seeing anyone?
- ếsingle, no takers (joke)Everywhere. Literally 'unsold', like goods at the market. Self-mocking.
- thả thínhto flirtYoung people. Literally 'to scatter bait' for fish.
- cắm sừngto cheat on someoneEverywhere. Literally 'to stick horns on'. Bị cắm sừng = to be cheated on.
Questions
What does nhậu mean in Vietnamese?
Nhậu means drinking with friends, always with food: beer or rice wine with grilled meat, peanuts or seafood. Đi nhậu is to go out drinking, and a quán nhậu is the open-front place with plastic stools where it happens. It's social glue, from birthdays to closing a business deal.
Is Vietnamese slang different in the North and South?
In places, yes. Southerners say xạo for lying, Northerners điêu. Teasing is khùng in Saigon and hâm in Hanoi, and 100,000 dong is a lít in the North and a xị in the South. Online slang like toang, đỉnh and chill is the same everywhere.
Can I use slang with older Vietnamese people?
Go easy. Mild words like ghê, sướng or chuẩn are fine with anyone if you're friendly. Teasing words (khùng, xạo, lầy) and youth slang (đỉnh, kèo, chill) sound cheeky from a younger person to an elder. With older people, a polite dạ and plain Vietnamese win more respect.
What does toang mean?
Toang means it's over, everything's ruined: a failed exam, a forgotten anniversary, a phone dropped in the toilet. Toang rồi! is we're screwed! It's light and jokey, and people of all ages use it online.
How do you say cheers in Vietnamese?
At a group table someone shouts Một, hai, ba, dô! (one, two, three, cheers) and everyone drinks. Dô is the Southern way of saying vô (in). Trăm phần trăm! (100%) means empty your glass. You'll toast many times in an evening, so pace yourself.