mất động lực
To lose motivation — the tank hits empty even though the to-do list hasn't; modern shorthand for drive gone missing.
Everyday conversation · Giao tiếp hằng ngày 139
Speak from day one: greetings, café and market formulas, small talk, and the little words real conversations run on.
All languages English Tiếng Việt 🎯 Quiz me ⬇ CSV (Anki) ⚡ Practice this set
mấy giờ rồi
"What time is it?" — the essential clock question; "rồi" makes it about NOW, usually with mild alarm attached.
mấy giờ đóng cửa
"What time do you close?" — ask it early; the answer decides whether tonight's plan survives.
một hai ba dô
The beer-table chant: "one, two, three, GO!" — roared in rounds, glass raised; the sound of a Vietnamese nhậu in full swing.
nghe chưa
The sentence-final "got it?" — parents, teachers, and big sisters use it to nail an instruction in place.
nghe có lý
"That actually makes sense" — a fair-minded nod to a point that lands; agreement earned mid-conversation, not planned.
nghỉ trưa
The midday break — a real institution: shops dim, offices nap, Vietnam pauses roughly 11:30–13:30. Schedule around it.
ngon quá
"So delicious!" — say it mid-bite and mean it; the highest compliment a cook hears all day, and the cheapest gift you can give.
người hai mặt
A two-faced person — sweet to your face, different behind your back; the standard label for double-dealing.
người nhiều chuyện
The busybody — "many-story person": collects, retells, and embroiders everyone's business; every neighborhood has one.
ngủ ngon nha
"Sleep well" — the goodnight of choice, softer than the textbook "chúc ngủ ngon"; last message of a million chats.
nhà vệ sinh ở đâu
The most-needed question in any country: "where is the toilet?" — "nhà vệ sinh" is the polite word; signs may say WC or Toilet.
nhớ nha
"Don't forget, okay?" — the sweet Southern reminder-sealer; sticks any promise with two syllables.
no rồi
"I'm full" — the only polite escape from Vietnamese hospitality's endless refills; expect one more scoop anyway.
nói chậm thôi
"Please speak slowly" — the second-best friend; native speed drops instantly and with sympathy.
nói lại được không
"Could you say that again?" — the learner's best friend; politer with a vocative and endlessly reusable.
nói thật đấy
"I'm serious" — drops the joking frame; what follows is meant. Southern speech says "nói thiệt đó".
nóng quá
"So hot" — weather, soup, or temper by context; as weather-talk it is the country's most spoken sentence from April to September.
năng lượng tích cực
Positive energy — the wellness-era staple for an uplifting mood, person, or place; what everyone promises their feed will radiate.
nể luôn
Genuine hats-off respect — "nể" (to be impressed by) sealed with "luôn": admiration you didn't plan on giving but must.
pass wifi là gì
The first question of the connected age: "what's the wifi password?" — asked before the menu in half of Vietnam's cafés.
quá hay
Plain, honest praise — "so good" — the workhorse compliment for songs, matches, ideas, and stories; common language, not an idiom.
quá sức tưởng tượng
Beyond imagination — outcomes that outrun anything you had pictured, for better or worse.
quá đỉnh
The everyday superlative: "beyond peak" — the default two syllables Vietnamese reaches for when something is simply excellent.
rảnh không
"You free?" — the two-syllable plan-starter; everything from coffee to a favor begins here.
sao thế
Northern "what's the matter?" — same caring question as "sao vậy", wearing its Northern particle.
sao vậy
"What's wrong? / why?" — the concern-question; Southern "vậy" where the North asks "sao thế".
stress nhẹ
"Mildly stressed" — the self-diagnosis for manageable pressure; often an understatement delivered with a tired smile.
sắp tới chưa
"Almost there yet?" — the backseat question; also the standard nudge to a late friend ("sắp tới chưa đó??").
sống tích cực
To live positively — choosing the optimistic read of things; the motto version of "năng lượng tích cực".
sống vội
To live in a rush — sprinting through days without tasting them; the phrase songs and essays use to diagnose modern hurry.
tan làm chưa
"Off work yet?" — the check-in that starts evening plans; "tan làm" (work dissolves) is the lovely verb for clocking out.
thêm đá
"Extra ice" — café Vietnamese; its siblings "ít đá" (less ice) and "không đá" (no ice) complete the drink-tuning trio.
thôi kệ
"Ah, let it go" — the shrug that keeps Vietnam sane; not every battle deserves you.
thôi xong
"Welp, it's over" — the deadpan verdict when a small disaster completes itself before your eyes.
thôi được rồi
"Fine, okay then" — concession with a visible sigh; you've stopped arguing, not necessarily agreed.
thật không
"Really?" — the doubt-check; Northern-flavored, with Southern speech preferring "thiệt hả" for the same raised eyebrow.
thử được không
"Can I try it?" — clothes, shoes, a taste at the market; permission-first plus a smile opens every fitting room.
trà đá vỉa hè
Sidewalk iced tea — Hà Nội's two-thousand-đồng institution: a plastic stool, a glass of trà đá, and the day's gossip. A place as much as a drink.
trời mưa rồi
"It's raining" — announcement, resignation, and plan-changer in one; the motorbike nation's least favorite sentence.
tôi bị bệnh
"I'm sick" — the plain way to report illness; "bị" again marks it as unwanted. Southern speech often says "bị bịnh".
tôi bị lạc
"I'm lost" — the passive-misfortune marker "bị" tells the listener this happened TO you; follow with the place you need.
tôi bị mất ví
"I lost my wallet" — the phrase you hope to never need; "bị mất" covers stolen and misplaced alike.
tôi bị thương
"I'm injured" — for accidents and emergencies; pair with "gọi cấp cứu" (call an ambulance) when it's serious.
tôi chưa làm gì sai
"I haven't done anything wrong" — calm, formal, and worth knowing verbatim before you ever need it.
tôi cần một bác sĩ
The emergency essential: "I need a doctor" — blunt is correct here; add "gấp" (urgently) to raise the alarm.
tôi không biết nói tiếng Việt
The honest opener every learner needs day one: "I can't (really) speak Vietnamese" — usually softened with "cho lắm" (not very well) and instantly forgiven.
tôi không ăn thịt bò
"I don't eat beef" — the polite dietary line; works for allergy, religion, or preference without explanation.
tôi không ăn thịt lợn
"I don't eat pork" — crucial in a pork-loving cuisine; Southern speech says "thịt heo" (same meaning, different pig word).
tôi là người ăn chay
"I'm vegetarian" — Vietnam understands "ăn chay" deeply (Buddhist tradition); say it and most kitchens can adapt anything.
tôi muốn thuê xe
"I want to rent a vehicle" — default reading is a motorbike; specify "xe máy" (bike) or "ô tô/xe hơi" (car) to be exact.
tùy bạn
"Up to you" — handing over the decision; swap the pronoun ("tùy em", "tùy anh") to fit the relationship, or shrug "tùy" alone.
tới rồi
"We're here / it's arrived" — arrival in two syllables: the destination, the food, the long-awaited package.
việc này khẩn cấp
"This is an emergency" — formal enough for officials, clear enough for anyone; the word doing the work is "khẩn cấp" (urgent).
xin phép
The polite "with your permission" — announced before leaving a meal, entering a room, or interrupting elders; Vietnamese courtesy in two syllables.
xong rồi
"Done / finished / all set" — the two syllables that close a meal, a job, a haircut; rising-context "Xong chưa?" asks, "Xong rồi" answers.
ít đường
"Less sugar" — the modern café request; Vietnamese drinks run sweet, and this phrase is how locals dial it down.
ăn cơm chưa
The classic Vietnamese hello: "have you eaten rice yet?" — care, not catering; the correct answer is short and warm either way.
ăn ngon miệng nhé
"Enjoy your meal" — said when serving or leaving someone to eat; the Vietnamese bon appétit.
ăn trưa chưa
"Had lunch yet?" — the office corridor greeting; an invitation hides inside it more often than not.