Chào
[t͡ɕaːw˨˩]
The English phrase "hi" is translated into Vietnamese as Chào.
Chào is a friendly, informal greeting. You can use chào as an informal way to say hi. For a more specific time-based greeting, you can use Chào buổi sáng for "Good morning", Chào buổi chiều for "Good afternoon" or Chào buổi tối for "Good evening". If you want to describe the general act of greeting someone, use the verb form chào hỏi.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
How does it change in a sentence?
In Vietnamese, the word Chào is almost always followed by a personal pronoun to indicate who you are greeting. This follows the pattern Chào + [pronoun].
Did you know?
- The word chào is a 'doublet' of the words chầu and triều, which are related to the ancient practice of attending an emperor's audience.
- While chào is used for 'hi', it is also commonly used to say 'goodbye' in many contexts.
- Because chào is tied to social hierarchy, the 'correct' way to say 'hi' changes entirely depending on whether you are speaking to someone older, younger, or of equal status.
Examples in context
- Chào, tôi là Yanni.Hi, I'm Yanni.This sentence is useful for introducing yourself using Chào.Tatoeba #10703663 by quoctrong018, translation #10026263 by Amastan
- Mỗi khi chúng tôi gặp nhau, Maria luôn chào tôi, nhưng Tom thì chưa từng.Whenever we meet, Maria always says hi to me, but Tom never does.This sentence describes someone frequently using Chào to greet others.Tatoeba #13909286 by leucammieuvu, translation #13909278 by frpzzd
- Chào George! Dạo này cậu thế nào?Hi, George! How's it going?This sentence shows how to use Chào when greeting someone by name.Tatoeba #1541914 by Aomori, translation #54594 by CP
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lan and Minh meet at a coffee shop.
- LanChào Minh!Hi Minh!
- MinhChào Lan, lâu rồi không gặp.Hi Lan, long time no see.
- LanỪ, dạo này cậu thế nào?Yeah, how have you been lately?
- MinhTớ vẫn khỏe, cảm ơn Lan.I am doing well, thanks Lan.
Sources
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry chào.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chào, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
