chào ông
[t͡ɕaːw˨˩ ʔəwŋ͡m˧˧]word by word
The English phrase "hello sir" is translated into Vietnamese as chào ông.
chào ông is a greeting used when addressing older men or those of higher status.
Which one should you use?
chào ông is used for much older men or men of high status, whereas chào anh is used for men who are slightly older than the speaker or of a similar age group.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the particle ạ at the end of chào ông makes the greeting more respectful and polite, resulting in chào ông ạ.
Did you know?
- Using chào ông to a man who is too young for the title can be interpreted as sarcasm or a joke about his age.
- The word chào comes from a Chinese term meaning 'to attend the emperor's audience'. It originally referred to meeting a senior person or a ruler.
- The word chào is used for both 'hello' and 'goodbye'. The specific meaning depends entirely on the context of the encounter.
Examples in context
- Chào ông, rất vui được gặp ông.Hello sir, it is a pleasure to meet you.
- Chào ông, chúc ông một ngày tốt lành.Hello sir, have a good day.
- Dạ, chào ông ạ.Yes, hello sir.
Example conversation
Hùng greets an older gentleman at the office entrance.
- HùngChào ông, mời ông vào trong.Hello sir, please come inside.
- HươngCảm ơn cậu, Hùng.Thank you, Hung.
- HùngÔng muốn uống trà hay cà phê?Would you like tea or coffee, sir?
- HươngCho tôi một ly trà nhé.A cup of tea for me, please.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (chào, ông) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chào, ông, CC BY-SA 4.0.
