Xin chào
[sin˧˧ t͡ɕaːw˨˩]
The English phrase "hello good morning" is translated into Vietnamese as Xin chào.
Xin chào is the most common and widely used way to say hello in Vietnamese. Xin chào serves as a general, friendly greeting to say hello to someone.
Did you know?
- Despite its status as the standard greeting, Xin chào is a modern coinage and does not appear in pre-modern Vietnamese documents.
- While 'Xin chào' is taught as the standard greeting, using it with friends or younger people can actually feel overly formal or even cold. In daily life, Vietnamese people prefer using kinship terms to greet one another.
Examples in context
- Xin chào. Buổi sáng tốt lành!Hello. Good morning!
- Xin chào, chúc một buổi sáng tốt lành.Hello, have a good morning.
- Xin chào, buổi sáng vui vẻ nhé!Hello, have a happy morning!
- Xin chào, rất vui được gặp bạn sáng nay.Hello, it is nice to see you this morning.
Example conversation
Nam and Hương meet at a cafe.
- NamXin chào, Hương!Hello, Hương!
- HươngChào Nam, bạn khỏe không?Hello Nam, how are you?
- NamTôi khỏe, cảm ơn bạn.I am well, thank you.
- HươngChúng ta vào trong nhé.Let's go inside.
Sources
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry xin chào.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chào, xin, xin chào, CC BY-SA 4.0.
