How to say goodbye in Vietnam
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Vietnam is one of the most spectacular countries to visit. The culture and people, the beautiful mountains and beaches and everything in between makes Vietnam the top of many people’s bucket lists!
Not to mention the incredibly low prices!
When visiting a country, it’s always a good idea to learn some basics of the language. Not only is this respectful and kind, but the locals will really appreciate the effort you have made. It also comes in useful from time to time, especially when English is not the first language, like in Vietnam.
This post will teach you how to say “Goodbye” in Vietnam, along with other useful phrases.
How to say goodbye in Vietnam
Saying goodbye in Vietnam is actually not as simple as a quick Google Translate.
The translation it will provide you is Tạm biệt.
Although it is a translation, it’s usually only used when writing as it’s very formal. When speaking, it’s more common just to say “bye” or, by direct translation, “I’m going”. It might seem a bit weird to say in English, but remember, not every language translates directly word for word.
To say “bye” in Vietnam you would say Chào nhé.
This is pronounced “Ciao” like how Italian says it, and then “nyay”. So all together it should sound something like Chow nyay.
To say “I’m going” in Vietnam, which is just another way of saying bye. You would say “Đi đây”.
This is pronounced something like “dee die ay”. Ay being pronounced as if you said yay without the first y.
If you want a third option, you could say “con đi nhé” which is pronounced “con dee nyay”. It roughly means “let’s go” but again, it shouldn’t be used as a direct translation. It’s just another way of saying goodbye in Vietnam.
What language do they speak in Vietnam?
In Vietnam, the official language is Vietnamese. It is both the national and official language, and the vast majority (85-90%) of the country speaks Vietnamese.
It’s a tonal language with a lot of vowels as you can see from the above translations. It uses the Latin script and has 6 different tones.
Fun Fact: Vietnamese is spoken by more than 70 million people!
How to learn Vietnamese
There are a number of ways to learn Vietnamese. The most modern way is online. The best and easiest way to do this is probably through DuoLingo, which supports Vietnamese learning.
Another way you could learn Vietnamese is by taking classes while in Vietnam. This would be a great choice if you are backpacking Vietnam (or the Banana Pancake Trail) and spending a lot of time in the country. The lessons are pretty cheap and dedicating 2-3 hours every morning to lessons can have you speaking the basics of Vietnamese pretty quickly.
Other Vietnamese greetings
How to say hello in Vietnamese
To say “hello” in Vietnam, there are a few ways to say it once again. These include:
| Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| xin chào | sin chow |
| câu chào | coh chow |
| chào | chow |
| tiếng chào | teeng chow |
Any of these can be used and are said commonly by the locals.
You generally add the person’s name after it. For example, a common greeting to me would be “xin chào Josh”.
How to say how are you in Vietnamese
To ask someone “how are you?” in Vietnamese you would say:
“Da Kỏhe Không” which looks nothing like how it sounds.
You pronounce it “yaa k-way ah kong“.
How to say please in Vietnamese
To say please in Vietnam, you should say:
“Làm ơn” which is pronounced pretty much how it looks. “Lam oon”.
Of course, when pronouncing these phrases in Vietnamese, you should try and pronounce them in a Vietnamese accent, or else you’ll sound pretty silly. Not to mention that pronunciation is crucial, as it’s a tonal language, you can mix up words easily.
How to say thank you in Vietnamese
Saying thank you in Vietnam is one of the funniest ones to master.
Thank you in Vietnamese is “Cảm ơn”. Pronouncing it is kind of difficult, depending on your native tongue.
It’s pronounced along the lines of “gauhm uhhn”.
How to say see you soon in Vietnamese
To say “see you soon” in Vietnam, you would say:
“Hẹn gặp lại” and you pronounce that “hen hap lie”.
Saying see you soon is definitely one of the easiest phrases to master!
How to say have a good day in Vietnamese
Saying have a good day in Vietnam is one of the longer basic phrases.
It is “Chúc một ngày tuyệt vời”, so 5 words to this phrase in Vietnamese.
To pronounce it, you say “chooc moot nie det vie” with nie and vie being pronounced like die.
5 more things to know before visiting Vietnam
Travelling to Vietnam can be a bit of a culture shock. So it’s important to know as much about the country as possible before visiting. To help you out, I have created 5 tips to know before visiting the beautiful country of Vietnam.
- You need a Visa
To visit Vietnam, you need a visa. You can apply for an eVisa online for $25 USD. These are valid for 30 days. It’s easiest and quickest to do online, and you can do so by clicking here.
Top tip: To get into Vietnam, you will be required to have proof of onward travel. Simply book a cheap, refundable flight to show as proof, and then cancel it once you are in Vietnam.
- Get an eSIM
If you are visiting Vietnam and plan to use your phone outside of your hotel or hostel, you’ll need mobile data. This can be expensive if your current phone plan does not cover Vietnam. Or if you use up your allowed data for roaming, you can be charged highly too.
As such, a cheap alternative is to get an eSIM. In short, these are SIM cards without the physical card and allow you to use mobile data in Vietnam for a small fraction of the price.
⭐ To buy an eSIM, the most reliable company is Airalo, the original eSIM store. You can buy an eSIM for Vietnam by clicking here.
- Know how to cross the road
Crossing the road in Vietnam can be extremely intimidating and scary for a tourist. The traffic doesn’t stop, it just avoids you.
You essentially just walk out and allow the motorbikes and mopeds to swerve on either side of you. Do not stop, slow down or speed up. Just keep walking and they will avoid you.
It’s scary and the locals make it look so easy. But knowing how to do it is important or you will be stuck on one side of the road.
- Get a card like Revolut
If you plan to withdraw money in Vietnam, you’re going to want to avoid the large fees and get a good conversion rate. The best way to do this is through a card like Revolut, which has a 0% withdrawal fee and some of the best rates on the market.
- Street food is your friend
Street Food in South East Asia is incredible and does not deserve the dodgy reputation it sometimes has. It is extremely unlikely that you will get food poisoning (no more than in a restaurant). Street food is the best way to taste authentic and delicious Vietnamese food, not to mention how cheap it is! If you are visiting Vietnam, you must try it at least once.
How to say goodbye in Vietnam: The Wrap Up
And there you have it! How to say goodbye in Vietnam and more! Before visiting Vietnam, make sure to learn the basics. It’s a common courtesy when visiting a new country but also will help you a lot. And it’s also fun to learn!
That’s all for now. Chào nhé.
