Chào mẹ
[t͡ɕaːw˨˩ mɛ˧˨ʔ]word by word
Chào mẹ is the Vietnamese phrase for "hello mom".
Chào mẹ is a greeting used when speaking to one's mother. For a more informal and warm greeting, you can say Chào mẹ nhé, where adding nhé at the end expresses familiarity. If you are answering the phone or calling to her from a distance, the informal and playful greeting Alo mẹ is commonly used.
What does it mean word for word?
Chào is the verb used to greet or to say hello, and mẹ means mother.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a polite or formal setting, it is common to include the pronoun con (child/offspring) before the greeting to show respect, resulting in Con chào mẹ. To make the greeting even more respectful when speaking to elders, add the particle ạ at the end to say Con chào mẹ ạ.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Southern Vietnam, it is common to use má instead of mẹ to refer to one's mother, such as in the phrase Chào má.
When do people say it?
When a child greets their mother using the phrase Chào mẹ ơi, a common way for the mother to respond is by saying Chào con, which means "Hello, my child".
Did you know?
- The word chào is actually a distant relative of the Chinese word for 'to attend an audience with the emperor'.
- The phrase Chào mẹ can be used both when arriving and when leaving. In Vietnamese, the same greeting often serves as both 'hello' and 'goodbye'.
- The word mẹ is considered a 'nursery word', meaning it is a sound that mimics the early, easy-to-pronounce vocalizations of infants.
Examples in context
- Chào mẹ, con mới về.Hello mom, I just got home.
- Chào mẹ, chúc mẹ một ngày tốt lành.Hello mom, have a good day.
- Chào mẹ, con đi học về rồi đây.Hello mom, I'm back from school.
Example conversation
Minh arrives at his mother Lan's house in the afternoon.
- MinhChào mẹ, con đã về rồi ạ.Hello mom, I am home.
- LanChào con, con đi học có mệt không?Hello, are you tired from school?
- MinhCon không mệt, con đói quá.I'm not tired, but I'm very hungry.
- LanĐể mẹ nấu cơm cho con nhé.Let me cook for you, okay?
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (chào, mẹ) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chào, mẹ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
