How to Say “Yes” in Vietnamese

Ways to say it

In Vietnamese, the way you say 'yes' depends on whether you are agreeing with a statement, showing respect or acknowledging someone. While vâng and dạ are often used to express agreement, show politeness or acknowledge a person or a command, phải is used specifically to confirm that a statement is factually correct. Other ways to express 'yes' include Đúng (meaning 'right') and Có (meaning 'yes') in formal contexts. For casual interactions with friends or peers, you can use Ừ.

Which one should you use?

vâng and dạ are used to express agreement, show politeness or acknowledge a command or a person. In contrast, phải is used specifically to confirm that a statement or proposition is factually correct. While the former are particles of agreement or respect, phải means 'correct' or 'right'.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

To show respect to elders, you can use Vâng ạ, which combines the formality of vâng with the polite particle ạ. The word Ừ is a common and casual way to say 'yes' among friends or peers. In formal contexts, Đúng and Có can also be employed to express agreement or consent.

Is it said differently in some regions?

vâng is the standard polite way to say 'yes' in Northern Vietnamese dialects, while dạ is the standard polite way to-say 'yes' in Southern Vietnamese dialects.

Related words

Response that asks for more information about a request (intj): vâng, dạ, ơi.

Response that confirms attention (intj): vâng, dạ.

How does it change in a sentence?

The particle dạ can be used at the beginning of a sentence to show respect to the listener, regardless of whether you are actually answering a question with 'yes'. Both vâng and dạ can also serve as responses to ask for more information about a request or to confirm that you are paying attention.

When do people say it?

Using vâng or dạ (or the combination Vâng ạ) helps demonstrate respect to the listener. Beyond just saying 'yes', vâng and dạ are used to acknowledge a person's presence or a command and can be used as a response to indicate you are paying attention.