nem rán
[nɛm˧˧ zaːn˧˦]Northern, Vietnam
The English phrase spring roll is nem rán in Vietnamese. Wiktionary also lists nem and chả cuốn.
Meaning: shredded vegetables wrapped in a pancake (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| nem rán | [nɛm˧˧ zaːn˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [nɛm˧˧ ʐaːŋ˦˧˥] (Huế, narrow) |
Northern, Vietnam |
| nem | [nɛm˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [nɛm˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
|
| chả cuốn | [t͡ɕaː˧˩ kuən˧˦] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) | |
| chả nem | [t͡ɕaː˧˩ nɛm˧˧] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) | |
| chả phòng | [t͡ɕaː˧˩ fawŋ͡m˨˩] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) | |
| chả giò | [t͡ɕaː˧˩ zɔ˨˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [t͡ɕaː˧˨ jɔ˦˩] (Huế, narrow) |
Southern, Vietnam |
The term refers to a dish consisting of shredded vegetables wrapped in a pancake.
Which one should you use?
Use nem rán if you are in Hanoi or the Northern provinces to sound more natural, and use chả giò if you are in Ho Chi Minh City or the Southern provinces to sound more natural.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Northern Vietnam, the standard term is nem rán. In the northern part of Vietnam, particularly in Hanoi, locals also refer to spring rolls as Chả nem. In Southern Vietnam, the standard term is chả giò.
Did you know?
- In Southern Vietnam, the word giò in chả giò literally means 'leg', which might lead a learner to wonder why a meatless roll is named after a body part.
- Despite the English name 'spring roll', these are eaten year-round in Vietnam and are not exclusively linked to the spring season.
- While nem rán specifically means 'fried rolls', the word nem alone can refer to various types of Vietnamese fermented pork rolls.
Examples in context
- Xin cho tôi thêm một đĩa gỏi cuốn khô bò thơm lừng.May I have another plate of delicious dried beef spring rolls, please?
- Mình muốn ăn chả giò, bạn có nhiều món khác không?I would like to have some spring rolls, do you have any other dishes?
- Cảm ơn bạn đã làm nhiều chả nem ngon để chúng ta cùng thưởng thức.Thank you for making so many delicious spring rolls for us to enjoy together.
- Chúng tôi hôm qua đã thưởng thức bì cuốn với nước mắm pha chuẩn.Yesterday, we savored some traditional southern-style spring rolls with perfectly blended fish sauce.
- Tôi muốn ăn nem rán.I want to eat spring rolls.
- Mẹ tôi làm nem rán rất ngon.My mother makes very delicious spring rolls.
- Bạn có muốn thêm nem rán không?Do you want more spring rolls?
Example conversation
A dining room during a family dinner.
- HươngNam, anh ăn nem rán nhé?Nam, would you like to eat some spring rolls?
- NamCó, em thích nem rán lắm.Yes, I like spring rolls a lot.
- HươngChị đã làm rất nhiều nem rán.I made a lot of spring rolls.
- NamCảm ơn chị, trông ngon quá!Thank you, they look delicious!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spring roll” translations and entries nem rán, nem, chả giò, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (chả, cuốn, nem, phòng) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chả, chả giò, cuốn, giò, rán, CC BY-SA 4.0.
