How to Say "Building" in Vietnamese

toà nhà

[twaː˨˩ ɲaː˨˩]

The Vietnamese word for building is toà nhà.

toà nhà refers to a closed structure with walls and a roof.

Meaning: closed structure with walls and a roof (noun)

What does it mean word for word?

The word contains nhà, which means house or building.

While toà nhà is used for large, imposing or commercial buildings, ngôi nhà is typically used for a residential house.

To make toà nhà plural, you can add the word những before it to form những toà nhà.

When addressing someone's profession, adding nhà acts like a title, much like how English speakers might use the suffix '-ist' in 'scientist'.
The component toà in toà nhà actually stems from a Chinese character originally used to denote a 'seat' or 'base' for something large.
While toà nhà describes a large structure, the single word nhà can also mean 'house', 'home', or even a 'family' depending on the context.

Tom bước ra khỏi toà nhà.
Tom came out of the building.
This sentence shows how to use toà nhà when describing someone exiting a structure.
Tatoeba #5142835 by truongap, translation #3422039 by CK
Toà nhà này sắp hoàn thành rồi.
This building is near completion.
This sentence uses toà nhà to discuss the completion status of a structure.
Tatoeba #3620510 by nguyenh, translation #59444 by CK
Tòa nhà cao tầng
High-rise building
Công trình nhà thuộc sở hữu của nhà nước
State-owned building
Ngôi nhà gỗ
Wooden building
Xin lỗi, tôi muốn tìm 'tòa nhà' ABC
Excuse me, I'm looking for 'building' ABC.
Tòa nhà cũ
Old building
Toà nhà đó rất cao.
That building is very tall.

Chi and Hung are standing on a street looking at a new skyscraper.

Sources

Wiktionary, “building” translations and entries toà nhà, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries nhà, toà, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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