chả giò
[t͡ɕaː˧˩ zɔ˨˩]South, Vietnam
The English phrase egg roll is translated into Vietnamese as chả giò. Wiktionary also lists nem rán and nem.
Meaning: a food made by wrapping a combination of ingredients (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| chả giò | [t͡ɕaː˧˩ zɔ˨˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [t͡ɕaː˧˨ jɔ˦˩] (Huế, narrow) |
South, Vietnam |
| nem rán | [nɛm˧˧ zaːn˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [nɛm˧˧ ʐaːŋ˦˧˥] (Huế, narrow) |
|
| nem | [nɛm˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [nɛm˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
The term refers to a food made by wrapping a combination of ingredients.
Which one should you use?
There are different terms for this dish depending on the region. nem rán and nem are used in the North, while chả giò is used in the South.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Southern Vietnam, the standard term is chả giò. In Northern Vietnam, the standard term is nem rán.
Did you know?
- The word giò in the Southern term chả giò literally means 'leg'.
- The word nem used in Northern Vietnam can also refer to a type of raw, unfried spring roll, so adding rán is essential to specify it is the fried version.
- While English speakers call it an 'egg roll', the Vietnamese names for these fried rolls rarely mention eggs at all.
Examples in context
- Tôi rất thích món ăn Việt Nam, đặc biệt là chả giòI really enjoy Vietnamese food, especially egg rolls
- Chả giò này rất ngon.This egg roll is very delicious.
- Mẹ tôi đang làm chả giò.My mother is making egg rolls.
Example conversation
Minh and Hương are deciding what to order for lunch.
- MinhHương ơi, bạn muốn ăn gì?Hương, what do you want to eat?
- HươngTôi muốn ăn chả giò.I want to eat egg rolls.
- MinhĐược, tôi cũng thích chả giò.Okay, I like egg rolls too.
- HươngVậy chúng ta gọi hai phần nhé.Then let's order two portions.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “egg roll” translations and entries chả giò, nem rán, nem, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chả, chả giò, giò, rán, CC BY-SA 4.0.
