tốt
[tot̚˧˦]
The Vietnamese word for good is tốt.
tốt is the general term for good and can be used in various contexts. It is typically used to describe quality or moral goodness. While tốt is a standard choice, other words may be more appropriate depending on what you mean: hay expresses that something is good or excellent. rất tốt means very good. hay phết is used to express something as really good or impressive. ngầu is a slang term meaning cool or good-looking. And ưng is an informal term similar to okay or good enough.
Meaning: pleasant, enjoyable (adj)
Which one should you use?
Use tốt when referring to the quality of something or to moral goodness. In contrast, use hay to describe something as good in the sense of being interesting or fascinating, such as a good book or movie.
Did you know?
- The word tốt is a Sino-Vietnamese word derived from the Chinese character 卒, which originally referred to a soldier or an end, rather than the concept of 'goodness' itself.
- While you might expect 'good' to be a universal adjective, calling a person tốt focuses heavily on their moral character rather than just their skill or talent.
Examples in context
- Tom làm việc tốt.Tom does good work.This sentence shows how to use tốt to describe work.Tatoeba #3467905 by tucm, translation #1094572 by CK
- Một ngày tốt lành!Good day!This sentence uses tốt in a common greeting.Tatoeba #1550787 by trieuho, translation #855284 by pirytm
- Cái đó tốt hay xấu?Is that good or bad?This sentence demonstrates how to use tốt when asking a question about quality.Tatoeba #4255208 by phuc, translation #3419815 by CK
- buổi sáng tốt lànhGood morning
- ý hayGood idea
- bữa ăn ngon lànhGood meal
- Bạn đã làm rất tốt.You did a very good job.
- Bạn nhảy múa hay phết!You're a really good dancer
- Bạn ưng quán này không?Are you okay with this restaurant?
- Bài trình bày của bạn rất tốt.Your presentation was very good.
- Bộ phim đó hay phết!That movie was really good!
- Bạn hát hay quá!Your singing is amazing!
- Làm những việc tốt.Do good things.
- 89 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a movie they just watched.
- TuấnBộ phim này rất tốt.This movie is very good.
- LanĐúng vậy, tôi rất thích nó.That's right, I really liked it.
- TuấnKịch bản phim thực sự tốt.The movie script is truly good.
- LanTôi đồng ý với Tuấn.I agree with Tuan.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tốt, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tốt, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
