Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| dạ | [zaː˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, narrow) [jaː˨˩ʔ] (Huế, narrow) |
Southern, Vietnam |
| được rồi | [ʔɗɨək̚˧˨ʔ zoj˨˩] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) | |
| rồi | [zoj˨˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʐoj˦˩] (Huế, narrow) |
The term is used to signify acknowledgement, acceptance or that a situation is settled. You may use the English loanword OK in informal settings or when interacting with digital interfaces, such as when you nhấn OK (press OK) to activate a button. Other ways to express endorsement or approval include đồng ý, được or OK.
Which one should you use?
The form được rồi is used to signal that a task is finished, a situation is settled or to express that something is "all right" or "sufficient". In contrast, the form rồi can function as a particle indicating a completed state or a change in status, such as when asking if a situation is currently okay.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For polite acknowledgement, especially when speaking to elders or superiors, use dạ. The word Được is an informal way to say "okay" or "fine". In Southern Vietnam, được rồi is a common informal alternative to được.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form dạ is the standard polite acknowledgement used specifically in Southern Vietnamese dialects.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When used in the context of asking if something is okay, the word rồi functions as a particle indicating a completed state or a change in status.
Did you know?
- The polite acknowledgement dạ is etymologically linked to the Old Chinese word for 'belly' or 'stomach'.
- Because dạ is used to show respect to elders, using it with a peer might actually sound strangely formal or even sarcastic in certain social settings.
- Depending on the region, you might hear đặng instead of được to express that something is 'okay' or 'possible', particularly in Central or Southern dialects.
Examples in context
- Ở công ty sao rồi, ổn không?Is everything OK at the office?This sentence uses rồi to ask about the current state of affairs at an office.Tatoeba #5754281 by yippe, translation #5272700 by CK
- Lẽ ra giờ này cô ấy đã về nhà rồi. Bạn nghĩ cô ấy không sao chứ?She should have been home by now. Do you think she's OK?This sentence uses rồi to discuss a person's status or whether they are okay.Tatoeba #11385083 by chaule3, translation #11385079 by chaule3
- Anh muốn xem một bộ phim tình cảm. Được, chúng ta có thể xem bộ phim "La La Land".I want to watch a romance movie. Được, we can watch the movie "La La Land."
- Chúng ta gặp nhau tại quán cà phê. Được, tôi sẽ đến ngay.Let's meet at the café. Được, I'll come right away.
- Dạ, con biết rồi.Yes, I understand.
Example conversation
Chi asks Tuấn to help her with some housework.
- ChiTuấn ơi, giúp chị dọn dẹp cái này nhé?Tuấn, can you help me clean this up?
- TuấnDạ, để em làm cho.Yes, let me do it.
- ChiCảm ơn em nhiều nha.Thank you so much.
- TuấnKhông có gì đâu ạ.You're welcome.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ok” translations and entries dạ, rồi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (được, rồi) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dạ, được, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
