What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally breaks down into tôi (I), là (am), người (person/people) and Việt Nam (Vietnam).
Which one should you use?
While tôi is the standard way to say "I", in casual conversation with people of a similar age or status, a speaker would more likely replace tôi with a kinship term like mình or em depending on the social context.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form tôi là người Việt Nam is the standard way of saying "I am Vietnamese" in formal situations. Using tôi as the first-person pronoun is the standard, neutral or formal way to say "I" when introducing oneself to strangers or in professional settings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Southern Vietnam, Tui là người Việt Nam is an informal way to say "I am Vietnamese", often using the word tui instead of tôi in informal conversations.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase tôi là người Việt Nam, the word người is used to turn the country name into a noun denoting a person of that nationality.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Tôi là người Việt Nam.I am Vietnamese.This example shows how to use the phrase tôi là người Việt Nam.Tatoeba #4255463 by phuc, translation #7796108 by sharris123
- Tôi là người Việt Nam, còn bạn?I am Vietnamese, and you?
- Rất vui được gặp bạn, tôi là người Việt Nam.Nice to meet you, I am Vietnamese.
Example conversation
Two people meeting for the first time at a language exchange.
- MaiChào anh, tôi tên là Mai.Hello, my name is Mai.
- TuấnChào Mai, tôi là Tuấn. Bạn là người nước nào?Hello Mai, I am Tuấn. What is your nationality?
- MaiTôi là người Việt Nam, còn anh?I am Vietnamese, and you?
- TuấnTôi là người Hàn Quốc.I am Korean.
