còn bạn?
[kɔn˨˩ ʔɓaːn˧˨ʔ]word by word
The English phrase "and you?" is translated into Vietnamese as còn bạn?
This phrase is used as a conversational "ping-pong" to return a question (like "How are you?" or "Where are you from?") back to the speaker.
Which one should you use?
While còn bạn? is a safe default, Vietnamese speakers more commonly replace bạn with specific kinship pronouns like anh (older brother), chị (older sister) or em (younger sibling) to reflect the social relationship.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
còn bạn? is a neutral way to say "and you?" that is appropriate for peers or people of similar social standing.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase còn bạn? is a complete, grammatically correct way to ask "and you?" in a neutral setting.
Did you know?
- Because of the importance of kinship terms, a speaker might use còn anh? to a stranger simply because the stranger looks slightly older.
- The word bạn can be linked to Sino-Vietnamese roots meaning both 'companion' and 'rebel', showing how a single syllable can hold vastly different historical weights.
- If a speaker is very close to the person they are addressing, they might drop the pronoun entirely and just say còn? to ask 'and you?'
Examples in context
- Cảm ơn đã hỏi, tôi vẫn khỏe. Còn bạn thì sao?Thanks for asking, I'm fine. And how about you?
- Cậu/Anh/Bạn thế nào?How about you?
- Tui vẫn ổn. Còn cậu?I'm still fine. And you?
- Tôi thích trà, còn bạn?I like tea, and you?
- Tôi đi làm, còn bạn?I am going to work, and you?
Example conversation
Two friends meet at a cafe.
- MinhChào Hương, bạn khỏe không?Hello Huong, how are you?
- HươngTôi khỏe, còn bạn?I am fine, and you?
- MinhTôi cũng khỏe.I am fine too.
- HươngBạn muốn uống gì?What do you want to drink?
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (còn, bạn) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bạn, còn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
