Chào chị
[t͡ɕaːw˨˩ t͡ɕi˧˨ʔ]word by word
In Vietnamese, the phrase to say hello to a woman is Chào chị.
Chào chị is a greeting used when addressing a woman who is older than you by age or status, typically a woman close to your age or slightly older. While Xin chào is a common way to say hello in both formal and informal situations, Chào chị is more specific to the relationship between the speaker and a woman slightly older than them.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of chào, which means 'to greet' and chị, which means 'older sister'.
Which one should you use?
The choice of greeting depends on the age of the woman you are addressing. Use Chào chị for a woman close to your age or slightly older. For a woman who is considerably younger than you, use Chào em (Hello, younger sister). If the woman is significantly older, such as someone the age of your mother, use Chào cô (Hello, aunt/lady). For showing specific respect to an even older woman, you can use Chào bà (Hello, ma'am).
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the greeting more respectful and polite, you can add the particle ạ to the end to say Chào chị ạ.
Did you know?
- While it sounds like the Italian 'ciao', the Vietnamese chào is a false cognate. They share no common history despite both being used to greet people.
- In Vietnamese culture, failing to use the correct kinship term like chị in a greeting can be perceived as rude or overly aggressive.
- While Chào chị is a greeting, the word chào can also be used as a way to say 'goodbye' depending on the context.
Examples in context
- Chào chị, chị khỏe không?Hello, how are you?
- Chào chị, em mới đến.Hello, I have just arrived.
- Em chào chị ạ.I greet you (polite).
Example conversation
Tuấn enters a small cafe and sees Hương, the owner.
- TuấnChào chị, cho em một cà phê.Hello, I would like a coffee.
- HươngChào Tuấn, em muốn uống cà phê đen?Hello Tuấn, do you want black coffee?
- TuấnDạ, vâng ạ.Yes, please.
- HươngChờ chị một chút nhé.Wait for me a moment.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (chào, chị) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chào, chị, CC BY-SA 4.0.
