em ơi
[ʔɛm˧˧ ʔəːj˧˧]word by word
em ơi is the Vietnamese way to say hey girl.
This phrase is used to call out to a female who is younger than you or of a similar age in a casual setting.
Which one should you use?
If the woman you are addressing is older than you, you must use chị ơi instead of em ơi to avoid being rude.
Did you know?
- You will often hear em ơi shouted in restaurants and cafes to call a server, regardless of whether the speaker actually knows the server's age.
- Historically, the practice of couples calling each other anh and em is believed to have originated specifically in the South Central province of Quảng Nam.
- While em ơi is a friendly call, omitting the ơi and just saying em can change the tone to be much more direct or commanding.
Examples in context
- Chào em gái, hôm nay trông xinh quá!Hey sis, you look so beautiful today!
Example conversation
Nam is calling for Mai's attention at a coffee shop.
- NamEm ơi, em có thấy điện thoại của anh không?Hey girl, have you seen my phone?
- MaiĐiện thoại của anh ở trên bàn kìa.Your phone is right there on the table.
- NamÀ, anh thấy rồi. Cảm ơn em!Ah, I see it. Thank you!
- MaiKhông có gì đâu anh.You're welcome.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (em, ơi) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries em, ơi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
