chúc ngon miệng
[t͡ɕʊwk͡p̚˧˦ ŋɔn˧˧ miəŋ˧˨ʔ]word by word
The Vietnamese phrase for "bon appétit" is chúc ngon miệng. If unsure, use chúc ngon miệng. Wiktionary also lists ăn nào and ăn ngon nhé.
Meaning: used to wish someone enjoyment of the meal they are about to eat (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| chúc ngon miệng | [t͡ɕʊwk͡p̚˧˦ ŋɔn˧˧ miəŋ˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
| ăn nào | [ʔan˧˧ naːw˨˩] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
| ăn ngon nhé | [ʔan˧˧ ŋɔn˧˧ ɲɛ˧˦] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
These phrases are used to wish someone enjoyment of the meal they are about to eat.
What does it mean word for word?
chúc ngon miệng literally translates to "wish delicious mouth", where chúc means to wish, ngon means delicious and miệng means mouth.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ăn ngon nhé is a friendly, informal way to wish someone a good meal, often used with peers or people younger than you.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using phrases like Mời anh/chị ăn ngon!, you should choose the pronoun based on gender: use anh when addressing a man and chị when addressing a woman.
Did you know?
- While English speakers say 'bon appétit', Vietnamese culture often relies on the phrase mời which means 'to invite'. Instead of just wishing someone a good meal, it is common etiquette to formally invite everyone at the table to eat before starting.
- The word chúc in the phrase chúc ngon miệng is a Sino-Vietnamese borrowing from the Chinese character 祝. This connects the simple act of wishing someone a good meal to a formal sense of blessing or prayer.
- In a Vietnamese meal, saying ăn nào is more like saying 'Let's eat!' than a polite 'bon appétit'. It functions as a communal call to action to begin the meal together.
Examples in context
- Chúc ngon miệng nhé!Enjoy your meal!
Example conversation
Chi and Tuấn are sitting down to have lunch together.
- ChiMời anh ăn, chúc ngon miệng!Please eat, enjoy your meal!
- TuấnCảm ơn Chi nhé.Thank you, Chi.
- ChiMón này trông rất ngon.This dish looks very delicious.
- TuấnĐúng vậy, ăn thôi nào.That's right, let's eat.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bon appétit” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (chúc, ngon, miệng, ăn, nào, nhé) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chúc, miệng, ngon, nào, ăn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
