họ
[hɔ˧˨ʔ]
The English word "they" is translated into Vietnamese as họ.
họ is a third-person plural pronoun used to refer to a group of people who are neither the speaker nor the listener.
Meaning: third-person plural pronoun (pron)
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, họ does not change based on the gender of the group. It is used for both masculine and feminine groups.
Did you know?
- Vietnamese speakers rarely use họ to refer to animals or inanimate objects. To say 'they' for a group of dogs or chairs, speakers use the word chúng, which is a different plural pronoun entirely.
- The word họ can also function as a noun meaning 'surname' or 'family name' in many contexts.
- The word họ is etymologically linked to the Chinese character 戶, which means 'family' or 'household'.
Examples in context
- Họ đã đi bộ.They walked.Tatoeba #13338418 by leucammieuvu, translation #2111352 by CK
- Họ đã huỷ bỏ.They canceled.Tatoeba #13338403 by leucammieuvu, translation #2111378 by CK
- Họ đã rời đi.They left.Tatoeba #13338410 by leucammieuvu, translation #2111368 by CK
- Họ tới từ một số nước khác nhau.They come from different countries.
- Tôi biết họ từ chương trình học tập.I know them from the study program.
- Họ đến thăm gia đình tôi.They visit my family.
- Tôi sẽ gặp những người đó vào cuối tuần này.I will meet them this weekend.
- Tin tức nói về những người đó.The news talks about them.
- 423 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hùng and Chi are talking about their new neighbors.
- HùngHọ là ai vậy?Who are they?
- ChiHọ là hàng xóm mới của mình.They are our new neighbors.
- HùngHọ có tốt không?Are they good people?
- ChiCó, họ rất tử tế.Yes, they are very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “they” translations and entries họ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries họ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
