Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| trời ơi | [t͡ɕəːj˨˩ ʔəːj˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʈəːj˦˩ ʔəːj˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
|
| trời | [t͡ɕəːj˨˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʈəːj˦˩] (Huế, narrow) |
|
| giời ơi | [zəːj˨˩ ʔəːj˧˧] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) | |
| trời đất ơi | [t͡ɕəːj˨˩ ʔɗət̚˧˦ ʔəːj˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʈəːj˦˩ ʔɗək̚˦˧˥ ʔəːj˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
|
| giời đất ơi | [zəːj˨˩ ʔɗət̚˧˦ ʔəːj˧˧] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) | |
| ôi trời ơi | [ʔoj˧˧ t͡ɕəːj˨˩ ʔəːj˧˧] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) | |
| ôi giời ơi | [ʔoj˧˧ zəːj˨˩ ʔəːj˧˧] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) | |
| ui trời ơi | ||
| ui giời ơi | ||
| ôi Chúa ơi | [ʔoj˧˧ t͡ɕuə˧˦ ʔəːj˧˧] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) | |
| Chúa ơi | [t͡ɕuə˧˦ ʔəːj˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [t͡ɕuə˨˩˦ ʔəːj˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
|
| lạy Chúa | [laj˧˨ʔ t͡ɕuə˧˦] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) | |
| ơn Chúa | ||
| ối trời ơi | [ʔoj˧˦ t͡ɕəːj˨˩ ʔəːj˧˧] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) | emphatic |
| ối giời ơi | [ʔoj˧˦ zəːj˨˩ ʔəːj˧˧] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) | emphatic |
| ôi chao ôi | Central, North, Vietnam | |
| ối chao ôi | Central, North, Vietnam, emphatic |
These expressions are used to convey excitement or shock. While trời ơi is the standard and most common way to express these feelings, many variations exist depending on the level of intensity or the specific dialect you are using.
What does it mean word for word?
The word trời literally means "sky" or "heaven".
Which one should you use?
trời ơi is the standard, most common version. To make the exclamation more dramatic or intense, you can use trời đất ơi or giời đất ơi, which adds đất (earth) to the phrase. For a more colloquial and casual tone, you might use ui trời ơi. If you wish to refer specifically to the Christian God, or are mimicking a religious tone, use Chúa ơi.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ui trời ơi is a very common and informal way to express surprise in casual conversation. Among friends, you may also hear the playful and informal phrase Ồ là ơi to express astonishment or disbelief.
Is it said differently in some regions?
giời ơi is a common variation found in Northern Vietnam. In both Central and Northern Vietnam, you may hear the expression ôi chao ôi or the more emphatic ối chao ôi.
Did you know?
- Early written records from the 13th century used Chinese characters to approximate the sound of trời, spelling it as bột lỗi.
Examples in context
- Ôi Chúa ơi, cảnh quang đẹp tuyệt vời!Oh my God, such a gorgeous view!
- Ồ là ơi, bạn nhảy đẹp quá!Oh my God, you dance so beautifully!
- Trời ơi, món ăn này ngon quá!Oh my god, this food is so delicious!
- Trời ơi, chuyện gì vừa xảy ra vậy?Oh my god, what just happened?
- Trời ơi, con mèo này dễ thương thật!Oh my god, this cat is so cute!
Example conversation
Minh and Chi are looking at a very expensive luxury car in a showroom.
- MinhTrời ơi, chiếc xe đó đẹp quá!Oh my god, that car is so beautiful!
- ChiNhưng nó đắt khủng khiếp luôn đó.But it is incredibly expensive.
- MinhTrời ơi, thật không thể tin được!Oh my god, I can't believe it!
- ChiĐúng là một con số quá lớn.That is indeed a huge number.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “oh my God” translations and entries trời ơi, trời, trời đất ơi, Chúa ơi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (giời, ơi, đất, ôi, trời, Chúa, lạy, ối) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries giời, trời, trời đất ơi, trời ơi, đất, ơi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
