tôi thích bạn
[toj˧˧ tʰïk̟̚˧˦ ʔɓaːn˧˨ʔ]word by word
The phrase 'I have a crush on you' in Vietnamese is expressed as tôi thích bạn.
While English speakers often use 'crush' to describe a specific sense of secret or unrequited infatuation, the Vietnamese expression tôi thích bạn is more general. It is used as a general expression of attraction to mean 'I like you'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb thích is the core component used to express liking or being attracted to someone. The pronouns tôi (I) and bạn (you) are used here in a way that is polite and suitable for peers or strangers, though it is not the most common way to express romantic interest between lovers or close age-specific pairs.
Did you know?
- The pronoun tôi used to mean 'slave' or 'servant' before it became a standard way to say 'I'.
- While tôi thích bạn is grammatically correct, it sounds very detached. In a real romantic setting, Vietnamese speakers almost always replace tôi and bạn with kinship terms like 'anh' (older brother) or 'em' (younger sibling) to show intimacy.
Examples in context
- Ê, tao có cảm giác với mày.Hey, I have a crush on you.
Example conversation
Nam and Chi are walking home together after school.
- NamChi này, tôi có chuyện muốn nói.Chi, I have something I want to tell you.
- ChiChuyện gì vậy Nam?What is it, Nam?
- NamTôi thích bạn.I have a crush on you.
- ChiÔi, tôi cũng thích bạn!Oh, I have a crush on you too!
