Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| tôi thích bạn | [toj˧˧ tʰïk̟̚˧˦ ʔɓaːn˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
| anh thích em | [ʔajŋ̟˧˧ tʰïk̟̚˧˦ ʔɛm˧˧] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
| em thích anh | [ʔɛm˧˧ tʰïk̟̚˧˦ ʔajŋ̟˧˧] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
The phrase is used to express affection or attraction, but the specific words chosen depend on whether the feeling is romantic or platonic. anh thích em is used by a man to express romantic interest in a woman, while em thích anh is used by a woman to express romantic interest in a man.
Which one should you use?
The choice of words distinguishes the nature of the relationship. tôi thích bạn is used for platonic liking between friends or equals, whereas anh thích em or em thích anh implies romantic attraction.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb thích means "to like" and remains unchanged regardless of the pronouns used around it.
When do people say it?
In Vietnamese, the way you say "I like you" must change based on the age and gender relationship between the speaker and the listener.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Anh thích em từ cái nhìn đầu tiên.I like you from the first sight.
- Từ khi chúng ta gặp nhau, mình cảm thấy mình hợp ý nhau.Since we met, I feel like we like each other.
- Tôi thích bạn rất nhiều.I like you very much.
- Thật lòng, tôi thích bạn.Honestly, I like you.
- Bạn có biết là tôi thích bạn không?Do you know that I like you?
Example conversation
Minh and Mai are talking in a quiet cafe.
- MinhMai, tôi thích bạn.Mai, I like you.
- MaiỒ, thật sao?Oh, really?
- MinhVâng, tôi thích bạn nhiều lắm.Yes, I like you a lot.
- MaiTôi cũng thích bạn.I like you too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I like you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (tôi, thích, bạn, anh, em) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries anh, bạn, em, thích, tôi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
