họ
[hɔ˧˨ʔ]
The phrase "last name" is translated into Vietnamese as họ.
họ is used to refer to a person's family name or surname.
Which one should you use?
While họ refers to the family name, the word tên is used to refer to the given name.
Did you know?
- A small number of surnames exist in Vietnam, with the họ Nguyễn shared by roughly 40% of the population.
- The word họ originates from the Chinese character 戶, which historically represented a single household or a door.
- While họ is the family name, Vietnamese people are typically addressed by their tên (given name) even in formal settings.
Examples in context
- Bạn biết họ của cậu ta không?Do you know his last name?Tatoeba #9712690 by dotheduyet1999, translation #2470500 by Hybrid
- Tôi không nghe được họ của bạn.I didn't catch your last name.Tatoeba #3481666 by tucm, translation #70513 by CK
- Bạn có thể đánh vần họ của bạn dùm tôi?Can you spell your last name for me?Tatoeba #3680909 by tucm, translation #3329673 by CK
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mai and Tuấn are filling out a form at a registration desk.
- MaiTuấn ơi, họ của anh là gì?Tuấn, what is your last name?
- TuấnHọ của tôi là Nguyễn.My last name is Nguyễn.
- MaiHọ Nguyễn thì rất nhiều ở Việt Nam.The last name Nguyễn is very common in Vietnam.
- TuấnĐúng vậy, Mai ạ.That's right, Mai.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry họ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries họ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
