Learning Vietnamese doesn’t have to start with long phrases or formal grammar. Sometimes, all you need is to start with the basics—individual words that form the foundation of your everyday communication. This guide focuses on over 100 essential Vietnamese words, organised by topic, to help beginners and independent learners expand their vocabulary and enhance their understanding of the language.
Unlike phrases, which are often situational, words give you flexibility. You can combine them as you learn more, and they form the foundation for speaking, listening and reading comprehension. Whether you’re preparing for a trip to Vietnam, studying Vietnamese, or just curious about the language, this list gives you the most useful words to know.
How Vietnamese Words Work
Vietnamese is a tonal language with six tones in the Northern dialect and five in the Southern dialect. A word’s tone can completely change its meaning. For instance:
| Word | IPA | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
|
ma |
/ma˧˧/ |
ghost |
|
má |
/má/ | mother |
| mà | /mà/ |
but |
|
mã |
/mã/ | horse or code |
| mạ | /mạ/ |
rice seedling |
Vietnamese uses the Latin alphabet with added accents (diacritics) to indicate tones and certain vowel changes. Most words are one or two syllables. The word order follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structure, and grammar relies more on word order than verb conjugation.
Numbers in Vietnamese
Counting is a great way to begin learning a language. Here’s a full list of Vietnamese numbers from one to one hundred:
| Vietnamese | English Meaning | IPA |
|---|---|---|
|
một |
one | /mɔ̣t/ |
| hai | two |
/hăj/ |
|
ba |
three | /ba/ |
| bốn | four |
/bŏn/ |
|
năm |
five | /nam/ |
| sáu | six |
/sáw/ |
|
bảy |
seven | /bảj/ |
| tám | eight |
/tám/ |
|
chín |
nine | /tʃín/ |
| mười | ten |
/mɨ̀əj/ |
|
mười một |
eleven | /mɨ̀əj mɔ̣t/ |
| hai mươi | twenty |
/hăj mɨ̀əj/ |
|
ba mươi |
thirty | /ba mɨ̀əj/ |
| bốn mươi | forty |
/bŏn mɨ̀əj/ |
|
năm mươi |
fifty | /nam mɨ̀əj/ |
| sáu mươi | sixty |
/sáw mɨ̀əj/ |
|
bảy mươi |
seventy | /bảj mɨ̀əj/ |
| tám mươi | eighty |
/tám mɨ̀əj/ |
|
chín mươi |
ninety | /tʃín mɨ̀əj/ |
| một trăm | one hundred |
/mɔ̣t tʃam/ |
Vietnamese Words for Colours
| Vietnamese | English Meaning | IPA |
|---|---|---|
|
đỏ |
red | /ɗɔ̉/ |
| xanh | blue/green |
/saɲ/ |
|
vàng |
yellow | /vàːŋ/ |
| trắng | white |
/tʃăŋ/ |
|
đen |
black | /ɗɛn/ |
| hồng | pink |
/hòŋ/ |
|
nâu |
brown | /nəw/ |
| cam | orange |
/kam/ |
|
xám |
grey | /sǎːm/ |
| tím | purple |
/tím/ |
|
bạc |
silver | /bạk/ |
| vàng kim | gold |
/vàːŋ kim/ |
|
xanh lá |
green (leaf) | /saɲ lá/ |
| xanh dương | blue |
/saɲ zɨəŋ/ |
|
be |
beige | /be/ |
| kem | cream |
/kɛm/ |
|
ngọc |
jade | /ŋɔk/ |
| mận | plum |
/mən/ |
|
rêu |
moss | /rəw/ |
| than | charcoal |
/tʰan/ |
Vietnamese Words for Food and Drinks
| Vietnamese | English Meaning | IPA |
|---|---|---|
|
phở |
noodle soup | /fə̉/ |
| nước | water |
/nɨək/ |
|
cà phê |
coffee | /kà fe/ |
| trà | tea |
/tʃa/ |
|
cơm |
rice | /kəm/ |
| bánh mì | baguette sandwich |
/báj mì/ |
|
thịt bò |
beef | /tʰìt bɔ̀/ |
| gà | chicken |
/ɣà/ |
|
cá |
fish | /ká/ |
| rau | vegetables |
/zaw/ |
|
trái cây |
fruit | /tʃáj kəj/ |
| muối | salt |
/múj/ |
|
tiêu |
pepper | /tiəw/ |
| mắm | fish sauce |
/măm/ |
|
súp |
soup | /sup/ |
| sữa | milk |
/sɨə/ |
|
kẹo |
candy | /kɛw/ |
| bánh | cake |
/baɲ/ |
|
trứng |
egg | /tʃɨŋ/ |
| mì | noodles |
/mi/ |
Vietnamese Words for Common Nouns
| Vietnamese | English Meaning | IPA |
|---|---|---|
|
nhà |
house | /ɲà/ |
| xe | vehicle |
/sɛ/ |
|
trường |
school | /tʃɨəŋ/ |
| cửa | door |
/kɨə/ |
|
bàn |
table | /ɓàn/ |
| ghế | chair |
/ɣé/ |
|
bút |
pen | /ɓut/ |
| sách | book |
/săk/ |
|
ví |
wallet | /vi/ |
| áo | shirt |
/ʔáw/ |
|
quần |
trousers | /kwən/ |
| giày | shoes |
/zaj/ |
|
nón |
hat | /nɔn/ |
| túi | bag |
/túj/ |
|
gương |
mirror | /ɣɨəŋ/ |
| chìa khóa | key |
/tʃiə kwá/ |
|
đồng hồ |
clock/watch | /ɗôŋ ho/ |
| máy ảnh | camera |
/maj ảɲ/ |
|
giấy |
paper | /zej/ |
| bưu thiếp | postcard |
/bɨw tʰiɛp/ |
Vietnamese Words for Common Verbs
| Vietnamese | English Meaning | IPA |
|---|---|---|
|
ăn |
eat |
/ʔan/ |
| uống | drink |
/ʔúəŋ/ |
|
đi |
go | /ʔi/ |
| đến | come |
/ɗén/ |
|
làm |
do/make | /làm/ |
| nói | speak |
/nɔ́j/ |
|
viết |
write |
/viə́t/ |
|
đọc |
read | /ɗɔk/ |
| nghe | listen |
/ŋɛ/ |
|
thấy |
see |
/tʰə́j/ |
|
mở |
open | /mə/ |
| đóng | close |
/ɗóŋ/ |
|
biết |
know | /biət/ |
| ngủ | sleep |
/ŋủ/ |
|
dậy |
wake up | /zàj/ |
| học | study |
/hɔk/ |
|
chơi |
play | /tʃəj/ |
| giúp | help |
/zúp/ |
|
yêu |
love | /iəw/ |
| cười | laugh |
/kɨəj/ |
Vietnamese Words for Adjectives
| Vietnamese | English Meaning | IPA |
|---|---|---|
|
đẹp |
beautiful | /ɗɛp/ |
|
xấu |
ugly |
/sə́w/ |
|
to |
big |
/tɔ/ |
|
nhỏ |
small |
/ɲɔ̉/ |
| nhanh |
fast |
/ɲaɲ/ |
|
chậm |
slow |
/tʃəm/ |
|
tốt |
good |
/tót/ |
|
mới |
new |
/mə́j/ |
|
cũ |
old |
/kủ/ |
|
nóng |
hot |
/nɔ́ŋ/ |
|
lạnh |
cold |
/laɲ/ |
|
cao |
tall | /káw/ |
| thấp | short (height) |
/tʰəp/ |
|
rộng |
wide | /rəwŋ/ |
| hẹp | narrow |
/hɛp/ |
|
dễ |
easy | /ze/ |
| khó | difficult |
/kʰɔ́/ |
|
sạch |
clean |
/săk/ |
| bẩn | dirty |
/bə̆n/ |
Tips to Remember Vietnamese Words
Learning new words takes repetition and strategy. Here are ways to make vocabulary stick:
- Focus on one category per session and review it out loud.
- Write down new words multiple times while speaking them.
- Use spaced repetition flashcards (apps or physical)
- Watch children’s shows in Vietnamese with subtitles.
- Repeat the words while doing physical tasks or looking at real objects.
- Pair words with images for stronger retention.
The more senses you involve, the quicker you retain the vocabulary. Listening and reading together are more effective than using either alone.
Conclusion
Mastering basic Vietnamese words helps you build confidence in every interaction—whether you’re shopping, eating out or meeting someone new. This list provides a strong foundation in categories that matter most to everyday life.
If you’re ready to go beyond individual words and start learning useful Vietnamese phrases for everyday situations, check out our Vietnamese Phrases Guide. It’s perfect for travellers and learners who want to start speaking in full sentences.
You can also visit Vietnamese Explorer for more learning tools and cultural insights. We’re here to help you learn Vietnamese clearly, efficiently, and with purpose.
