Hà Nội
[haː˨˩ noj˧˨ʔ]
Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, referred to in Vietnamese as Hà Nội.
The most common and formal way to refer to the capital city of Vietnam is by using its official name, Hà Nội. Another formal way to say "Hanoi" is by adding the term Thủ đô, which means "capital" in Vietnamese, creating Thủ đô Hà Nội.
Meaning: capital of Vietnam (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The name Hà Nội is composed of two words: Hà meaning river and Nội meaning inside/within, translating literally to "Inside the river".
Which one should you use?
Thủ đô Hà Nội includes the term Thủ đô, which means "capital" in Vietnamese.
Did you know?
- The use of nội to mean 'inside' in family terms stems from the custom where a married woman is considered to belong to a different family.
- While Hà means 'river' in Hà Nội, the same sound hà can also mean 'lotus' or 'what' depending on the Chinese character it represents.
- The name 'Inside the river' refers to the historical geography of the city being a land area enclosed by water.
Examples in context
- Hà Nội có 36 phố phường.There are 36 old streets in Hanoi.This sentence is useful for mentioning the 36 old streets in Hà Nội.Tatoeba #13860833 by leucammieuvu, translation #13860834 by leucammieuvu
- Bây giờ là mấy giờ ở Hà Nội?What time is it in Hanoi?This sentence is useful for asking about the current time in Hà Nội.Tatoeba #13441130 by leucammieuvu, translation #6583509 by Eccles17
- Thủ đô của Việt Nam là Hà Nội.The capital of Vietnam is Hanoi.This sentence is useful for stating that the capital of Vietnam is Hà Nội.Tatoeba #13385289 by Trong_Dang, translation #3196783 by mervert1
- Tôi định thăm Hà Nội vào tháng sau.I'm planning to visit Hanoi next month.
- Tôi nên ở khách sạn nào ở Hà Nội?Which hotel should I stay in when I'm in Hanoi?
- Hà Nội nổi tiếng với đồ ăn vỉa hè ngon lành.Hanoi is famous for its delicious street food.
- Đi tàu từ thành phố Hồ Chí Minh đến Hà Nội mất bao lâu?How long does it take to travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi by train?
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hương and Minh are talking about their travel plans.
- HươngTuần sau em đi Hà Nội.I am going to Hanoi next week.
- MinhAnh cũng muốn đi Hà Nội.I also want to go to Hanoi.
- HươngAnh có muốn đi cùng em không?Do you want to go with me?
- MinhĐược, chúng ta cùng đi nhé.Sure, let's go together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hanoi” translations and entries Hà Nội, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Hà, Hà Nội, hà, nội, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
