Pronouns and forms of address

Đại từ và cách xưng hô · Elementary · 4 examples

Pattern

anh / chị / em / cô / chú

Vietnamese chooses pronouns by age and relationship. Use anh for an older man, chị for an older woman, em for someone younger, and cô and chú for aunts and uncles. Tôi is a neutral “I”, and bạn is a neutral “you” among peers.

Tip: When in doubt, use bạn for peers and anh or chị for people a little older than you.

Examples

Chào anh!
Hello! (to an older man)
Chào chị!
Hello! (to an older woman)
Em chào cô ạ.
Hello, ma'am. (said politely by a younger person)
Bạn tên là gì?
What is your name?

Try it

Exercises built from the examples above.