ngày của bạn thế nào?
[ŋaj˨˩ kuə˧˩ ʔɓaːn˧˨ʔ tʰe˧˦ naːw˨˩]word by word
The English phrase "how was your day?" is translated into Vietnamese as ngày của bạn thế nào?
This phrase is a question used to ask someone about the events and experiences of their day.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ngày (day), của (of), bạn (you) and thế nào (how).
Which one should you use?
You may also use the informal version Hôm nay thế nào? to mean "How was today?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Using bạn (friend/you) is a standard way to address an equal or a peer. However, in more formal or hierarchical settings, the pronoun bạn should be replaced with appropriate kinship terms. The version Hôm nay thế nào? is considered informal.
How does it change in a sentence?
Vietnamese does not change the verb or adjective to indicate past tense in this question. The context implies the day is being discussed in the past or present.
Did you know?
- While bạn is a common way to say 'friend', its Sino-Vietnamese roots actually connect it to the characters for 'companion' and 'rebel'.
Example conversation
Minh and Lan meet at home after work.
- MinhChào Lan, ngày của bạn thế nào?Hi Lan, how was your day?
- LanNgày của tôi rất tuyệt, còn Minh thì sao?My day was great, how about you, Minh?
- MinhTôi cũng có một ngày bận rộn.I also had a busy day.
- LanHãy cùng ăn tối nhé.Let's have dinner together.
