anh
[ʔajŋ̟˧˧]
In Vietnamese, "bro" is translated as anh.
anh functions as a noun meaning a male comrade or friend, specifically one who shares one’s ideals. In many social contexts, it is used as a second-person pronoun to address a male who is slightly older or of a similar age, serving a similar social function to "bro" or "man" in English.
Meaning: male comrade or friend, one who shares one’s ideals (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word anh literally means "older brother".
Which one should you use?
While anh refers to an older brother, its counterpart em is used for a younger sibling or someone younger than the speaker.
How does it change in a sentence?
To call out to a "bro" to get their attention, add the particle ơi after the word to form anh ơi (meaning "Hey, bro" or "Hey, big brother"). For a more emphatic, comrade-like sense often used in slang or to show solidarity, you can use the phrase người anh em.
When do people say it?
When addressing friends of both genders informally, you might use Bạn ơi (hey, friend) instead of a gender-specific term.
Did you know?
- In Vietnam, a wife commonly addresses her husband as anh and a husband addresses his wife as em. This uses the terms for 'older brother' and 'younger sibling' to express romantic affection.
- Because anh relies on relative age, a man might be called anh by someone older than him if he is in a higher social or professional position.
- Once a couple has children, they might stop using anh and em and instead call each other thầy em and đẻ em, meaning 'father of the child' and 'mother of the child'.
Examples in context
- Ok người anh em! Tớ không muốn nghe thêm đâu!OK!! Bro!! I don't want to hear any more!This sentence shows how to use anh to address a bro in an emphatic way.Tatoeba #9714863 by dotheduyet1999, translation #329121 by fcbond
- Thuý gọi mình bằng anh, nhưng Thuý lớn tuổi hơn mình nhiều nên mình ngại gọi Thuý bằng em.I'm supposed to be Thuý's "big bro", but I can't bring myself to call her "little sibling" because she's way older than me.
- Ông ấy già vậy mà bố phải gọi bằng anh à?
Ông cố của bố là em của ông cố của ông ấy. Mà con phải gọi ông ấy là bác mới đúng.He looks so old. Why do you call him "big bro"?
My great-grandfather was younger brother to his. By the way, you're supposed to call him your "big uncle". - Đại ca, mấy hôm nay sao rồi?Hey, bro, how have you been lately?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Minh and Huong are discussing a project at school.
- MinhAnh giúp tôi làm cái này được không?Can you help me do this, bro?
- HươngĐược chứ, để tôi xem qua một chút.Sure, let me take a look.
- MinhCảm ơn anh nhiều nhé!Thanks a lot, bro!
- HươngKhông có gì đâu Minh.It is nothing, Minh.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry anh, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries anh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
