ông
[ʔəwŋ͡m˧˧]
The Vietnamese word for Mr. is ông.
ông is used as a formal way to address an older male or someone who is held in high regard. Depending on the context, it can also mean grandfather or refer to the generation of one's grandfather.
Meaning: abbreviation of mister (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Just like in English, the title ông is placed directly before the person's name, such as in ông [Name].
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese, ông can be used to refer to gods, spirits and legendary figures, such as ông Địa for the Earth God.
- While ông serves as 'Mr.' in formal settings, it is also used colloquially by husbands and wives to address each other in certain traditional regions.
- The word ông shares its Chinese roots with the Japanese word for 'old man', specifically the character 翁.
Examples in context
- Ông NguyễnMr. Nguyễn
- Ông BảoMr. Bảo
- Ông Giám ĐốcMr. Director
- Anh SơnMr. Sơn
- Chào ông Nam.Hello, Mr. Nam.
- Ông Smith đang ở đâu?Where is Mr. Smith?
- Tôi đã gặp ông Brown.I met Mr. Brown.
Example conversation
Mai introduces her father to Hùng.
- MaiHùng, đây là bố tôi, ông Bình.Hung, this is my father, Mr. Binh.
- HùngCon chào ông Bình ạ.Hello Mr. Binh.
- MaiBố, đây là bạn của con, Hùng.Dad, this is my friend, Hung.
- HùngRất vui được gặp cháu.It is nice to meet you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ông, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ông, CC BY-SA 4.0.
