Getting around in Vietnamese
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet. Play the ten Vietnamese words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Vietnamese phrases in this lesson
- Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu?nyah veh SINH uh DOW
- Where is the toilet?
- Làm sao để đi đến...?lahm sow deh dee den
- How do I get to...?
- Rẽ tráizeh CHAI
- To the left
- Rẽ phảizeh FAI
- To the right
- Đi thẳngdee TUNG
- Straight ahead
- Ở đâyuh DAY
- Here
- Ga tàugah TOW
- Train station
- Xe buýtsay BWEET
- Bus
- Sân baysuhn BAI
- Airport
- Cho tôi một vécho toy moht VEH
- One ticket, please
Literally "hygiene house". Signs read WC or Nhà vệ sinh. Cafes and restaurants are the best bet; public toilets are rare and often charge a small fee.
"Làm sao để đi đến chợ Bến Thành?" (how do I get to Bến Thành market?). Showing the address on your phone usually works faster.
Literally "turn left". Southerners say "quẹo trái" (kweh CHAI). Useful on the back of a motorbike taxi.
Phải also means correct, as in "phải không?" (right?). Southerners say "quẹo phải".
Literally "go straight". Crossing the street, walk at a steady pace and let the motorbikes flow around you; never stop suddenly or run.
"Dừng ở đây" (zung uh DAY) is stop here, to a driver. "Ở đó" (uh DOH) is there.
Ga comes from the French gare. Southerners say "ga xe lửa". The Reunification Express runs the length of the country between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Xe is vehicle: "xe máy" is a motorbike, "xe ôm" (say OHM) a motorbike taxi. Most visitors use ride-hailing apps rather than city buses.
Literally "flying yard". Tân Sơn Nhất serves Ho Chi Minh City and Nội Bài serves Hanoi.
Vé is ticket. On trains you may be asked about "ghế mềm" (soft seat) or "giường nằm" (sleeper berth).