Hello in Vietnamese is xin chào, pronounced roughly "sin chow." That is the safe, all-purpose greeting that works with anyone, anywhere, at any time of day.
But here is what most quick answers leave out: Vietnamese people rarely greet each other with xin chào. It sounds a bit formal, almost like saying "greetings" in English. In real life, people say chào plus a small word that depends on who they are talking to. Get that part right and you instantly sound less like a phrasebook.
The Quick Answer Table
| Greeting |
When to use it |
Approximate pronunciation |
| Xin chào |
Universal, polite, works with anyone |
sin chow |
| Chào anh |
To a man slightly older than you |
chow ang |
| Chào chị |
To a woman slightly older than you |
chow chee |
| Chào em |
To someone younger than you |
chow em |
| Chào ông |
To an elderly man (grandfather age) |
chow ohm |
| Chào bà |
To an elderly woman (grandmother age) |
chow bah |
| Chào bạn |
To a friend or someone your age |
chow ban |
| Alô |
Answering the phone |
ah-loh |
Why the Word After Chào Matters
Vietnamese does not have one word for "you." Instead, it uses kinship terms based on the other person's age and status relative to yours. When you say "chào anh," you are literally saying "hello, older brother." It sounds strange translated, but in Vietnamese it is basic politeness, and skipping it can come across as cold or abrupt.
The core set to remember:
- Anh = man a bit older than you (up to roughly your parents' age)
- Chị = woman a bit older than you
- Em = anyone younger than you, man or woman
- Ông / bà = elderly man / elderly woman, or anyone your grandparents' age
- Bạn = "friend," a neutral option for people your own age when you are unsure
If you cannot guess someone's age, aim slightly older. Calling someone anh or chị when they are actually younger is flattering. The reverse can be mildly insulting.
One more useful upgrade: adding ạ at the end (chào chị ạ) makes any greeting more respectful. Use it with elders or in formal situations.
Other Ways Vietnamese People Say Hello
- Alô -- only on the phone, exactly like "hello?" when picking up. Never use it face to face.
- Ê! -- a very casual "hey!" between close friends. Do not try this with strangers.
- Ăn cơm chưa? ("have you eaten yet?") -- a common friendly opener, like "how's it going?" Nobody expects a meal report; "rồi" (yes, I have) is a fine answer.
- Đi đâu đấy? ("where are you going?") -- another casual greeting among people who know each other, not an interrogation.
There are no everyday equivalents of "good morning" or "good evening" in normal speech. Textbooks list chào buổi sáng for "good morning," but locals almost never say it. Chào + the right pronoun covers every time of day.
Pronunciation: The Part Reading Cannot Teach You
Chào carries a falling tone, marked by the accent on the à. Your pitch starts mid and drops low, a bit like a resigned English "oh well." Say it flat and you have said a different word: chao with no tone mark relates to a rice porridge dish, and cháo with a rising tone is the porridge itself. Tone is not an accent detail in Vietnamese, it changes the meaning.
The consonant is closer to "j" in southern Vietnam and "ch" in the north; either is understood. "Xin" is easy: like English "sin."
Here is the honest truth about tones: you cannot learn them from a written guide, including this one. Your ear has to hear the falling contour many times before your mouth can copy it, and then you need to compare your attempt against a native speaker to find out whether you actually matched it. Almost every beginner thinks they nailed the tone when they did not.
The fix is simple: listen, repeat out loud, record yourself, compare. This loop is called shadowing, and it is the single fastest way to get Vietnamese tones into your mouth. It is also exactly how Hyperpolyglot works: you add the phrase "chào chị" (or any sentence you actually want to say), you get native audio for it, and you shadow it until your recording matches. Available on iOS, Android, and Web.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using xin chào with everyone, all the time. It is not wrong, but it keeps you sounding like a tourist. Graduate to chào + pronoun as soon as you can.
- Ignoring the tone. A flat "chow" is often still understood in context, but building the habit early saves you from real confusion later, when tone is the only difference between "ghost" and "mother."
- Saying alô in person. Phone only.
- Guessing pronouns too young. When in doubt between em and anh/chị, go older.
- Adding a handshake-and-hug routine. A slight nod or smile with your greeting is enough; physical greetings are more reserved than in the West.
Bonus: How to Say Goodbye
The everyday goodbye is tạm biệt (tahm byet), literally "temporary parting." Like xin chào, it leans formal. In casual speech people often just say chào again with the right pronoun (yes, chào works for both hello and goodbye, like "ciao" in Italian), or hẹn gặp lại (hen gap lie), "see you again."
So your minimal survival kit is two words: chào on the way in, chào on the way out, with the right little pronoun attached. Learn to hear and copy that falling tone, and you have a greeting that actually lands.
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