con chào bác
[kɔn˧˧ t͡ɕaːw˨˩ ʔɓaːk̚˧˦]word by word
The English phrase 'hello to an elder' is translated into Vietnamese as con chào bác.
The phrase con chào bác is used when a person of significantly younger generation (like a child or grandchild) greets an adult who is of their parents' generation. Other ways to greet elders include Chào ông to say 'Hello, grandfather', Chào bà for 'Hello, grandmother' and the formal Xin chào bà which means 'Hello, madam'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'child/grandchild greets uncle/aunt'. In this phrase, con is a humble pronoun for oneself and bác is a respectful term for an elder.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase follows the structure of [subject] + [verb] + [object], where the subject is the speaker's humble pronoun and the object is the elder's title.
When do people say it?
In Vietnamese culture, it is considered essential to include a kinship pronoun (like con) when greeting elders to show proper respect and social hierarchy. Using chào bác without the pronoun con is less polite and more abrupt than con chào bác when a younger person is addressing an elder.
Did you know?
- Although they sound similar, the Vietnamese chào and the Italian 'ciao' are completely unrelated false cognates. One is a non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of a Chinese word for attending an audience, while the other is an Italian greeting.
Examples in context
- Xin chào bà, cảm ơn bà đã giúp chúng tôi rất nhiều.Hello, madam. Thank you for helping us so much.
- Xin chào ông, rất vui được gặp ông.Hello, sir. It's nice to meet you.
- Con chào bác ạ.Hello, uncle.
- Dạ, con chào bác.Yes, hello uncle.
- Con chào bác, bác khỏe không?Hello uncle, how are you?
Example conversation
Hương meets her neighbor, Hùng, in the hallway.
- HươngCon chào bác.Hello uncle.
- HùngChào Hương, cháu đi đâu đấy?Hello Huong, where are you going?
- HươngDạ, con đi học ạ.I am going to school.
- HùngỪ, đi cẩn thận nhé.Okay, be careful.
