Which one should you use?
Tết Nguyên Đán is the full, formal name of the Lunar New Year festival, while Tết is the common short form used in everyday speech.
How does it change in a sentence?
To talk about celebrating the holiday, Vietnamese uses the verb ăn, which means to eat, together with the name: ăn Tết means to celebrate or enjoy the Tet holiday.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not drop the diacritic in writing. The mark on the vowel is part of the spelling of Tết.
When do people say it?
The usual greeting during the festival is Chúc mừng năm mới!, meaning Happy New Year. Adding nha at the end, as in Chúc mừng năm mới nha!, makes it informal and affectionate. Cung chúc tân niên is a formal way to wish someone a happy new year, and Chúc Tết vui vẻ! means wishing you a joyful Tet.
Did you know?
- It is a traditional custom to avoid sweeping the house or throwing away trash during the first days of Tết to avoid sweeping away good luck.
- Vietnamese culture emphasizes 'first footing', where the first person to enter a home after the midnight turn of Tết is believed to determine the household's luck for the year.
- There is a linguistic possibility that tết derives from a different Chinese character, 紲, which means 'to tie' or 'rope'.
Examples in context
- Tôi thích không khí ngày Tết.I love the atmosphere of the Tet holiday.
- Bạn đã về quê ăn Tết chưa?Have you gone back to your hometown for Tet yet?
- Chúc mừng năm mới, chúc mừng Tết!Happy New Year, Happy Tet!
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their plans for the upcoming holiday.
- NamNăm nay bạn định đi đâu chơi Tết không?Do you have any plans to go anywhere for Tet this year?
- MaiMình sẽ ở lại thành phố đón Tết.I will stay in the city to celebrate Tet.
- NamVậy thì đi cà phê với mình nhé.Then, let's go grab a coffee together.
- MaiĐược, hẹn gặp bạn vào dịp Tết!Sure, see you during Tet!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Tết, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Tết, tết, CC BY-SA 4.0.
