Very basic Vietnamese? Forum

[ConsideringLawSchool]

Does anyone here have a knowledge of basic Vietnamese and a couple minutes to help? I'd like to check that a list of Vietnamese phrases are correct (and get help with the best way of representing the pronunciation of a few of them). Thanks!

[yune]

I can help

[littlepiggie818]

I can help as well.

[JOThompson]

Extremely basic, but I'll try to assist.

[ConsideringLawSchool]

Thank you so much!!

Here's what I've got:

Hi: Chào. (jow)
How are you: Khỏe không? (kweah kohng?)
I'm fine: Khoẻ. (kweah)
Have a good day: Môt mgáy vui vẻ
Goodbye: Chào. (jow)
Mom will be back: Me sẻ trð lai sau
What is your name? Cô tên là gì? (goh theyn la yi)
My name is____: Tên tôi là _________
Yes: Vâng (affirmative)
No: Không. (kohng)
Please: Làm ơn. (lam uhhn)
Thank you: Cảm ơn. (gam uhhn)
I'm sorry: Xin lỗi. (seen loh'EE)
Help: Cứu với! (gih-OO vuh-y!)
Sick: Bệnh, Ôm
I don't understand: Tôi không hiểu. (thoy kohng hee-oh)
Bathroom: Phòng vệ sinh
Now: Bây giờ (bee yuh...)
Later: Lát nữa (laht? neu'uh?)
Mom: Me
Dad: Bô
Child: Con (kon)
Baby: Em Bé
Come: Lại đây!
Sit: Mgồi
Wash Hands: Rứã tay
Eat: Ăn
Milk: Sữa
Breakfast: Bữa sáng (boo... ee? Sahng?)
Lunch: Bữa trưa (boo... ee? cheu-uh)
Wait: Chơ
More: hơn (huhhhn), thêm (tehm)
All done: Xong rồi. (sah-ohng roh-ee...)
Put it here: Dẻ ờ đây

I'm more concerned with making sure that they are accurate and adding the missing pronunciations than I am with the precise Vietnamese accents.

Thanks again so much!

[littlepiggie818]

Hi: Chào. (jow)
How are you: Khỏe không? (kweah kohng?)
I'm fine: Khoẻ. (kweah)
Have a good day: Mo^t. ngay`vui vẻ - (I am not sure if this is the correct translation for it)
Goodbye: Chào. (jow)
Mom will be back: Me. sẻ trð lai sau
What is your name? Cô tên là gì? (goh theyn la yi)
My name is____: Tên tôi là _________
Yes: Vâng (affirmative)
No: Không. (kohng)
Please: Làm ơn. (lam uhhn)
Thank you: Cảm ơn. (gam uhhn)
I'm sorry: Xin lỗi. (seen loh'EE)
Help: Cứu với! (gih-OO vuh-y!)
Sick: Bệnh, Ôm'
I don't understand: Tôi không hiểu. (thoy kohng hee-oh)
Bathroom: Phòng vệ sinh
Now: Bây giờ (bee yuh...)
Later: Lát nữa (laht? neu'uh?)
Mom: Me.
Dad: Bô'
Child: Con (kon)
Baby: Em Bé
Come: Lại đây!
Sit: Ngồi
Wash Hands: Ru*ã tay
Eat: Ăn
Milk: Sữa
Breakfast: Bữa sáng (boo... ee? Sahng?)
Lunch: Bữa trưa (boo... ee? cheu-uh)
Wait: Chơ`
More: hơn (huhhhn) (I have never heard of this expression before), thêm (tehm)
All done: Xong rồi. (sah-ohng roh-ee...)
Put it here: -Dẻ ờ? đây

I just fixed some of the spelling.

[ConsideringLawSchool]

Hi: Chào. (jow)
How are you: Khỏe không? (kweah kohng?)
I'm fine: Khoẻ. (kweah)
Have a good day: Mo^t. ngay`vui vẻ - (I am not sure if this is the correct translation for it)
Goodbye: Chào. (jow)
Mom will be back: Me. sẻ trð lai sau
What is your name? Cô tên là gì? (goh theyn la yi)
My name is____: Tên tôi là _________
Yes: Vâng (affirmative)
No: Không. (kohng)
Please: Làm ơn. (lam uhhn)
Thank you: Cảm ơn. (gam uhhn)
I'm sorry: Xin lỗi. (seen loh'EE)
Help: Cứu với! (gih-OO vuh-y!)
Sick: Bệnh, Ôm'
I don't understand: Tôi không hiểu. (thoy kohng hee-oh)
Bathroom: Phòng vệ sinh
Now: Bây giờ (bee yuh...)
Later: Lát nữa (laht? neu'uh?)
Mom: Me.
Dad: Bô'
Child: Con (kon)
Baby: Em Bé
Come: Lại đây!
Sit: Ngồi
Wash Hands: Ru*ã tay
Eat: Ăn
Milk: Sữa
Breakfast: Bữa sáng (boo... ee? Sahng?)
Lunch: Bữa trưa (boo... ee? cheu-uh)
Wait: Chơ`
More: hơn (huhhhn) (I have never heard of this expression before), thêm (tehm)
All done: Xong rồi. (sah-ohng roh-ee...)
Put it here: -Dẻ ờ? đây

I just fixed some of the spelling.

Thanks so much!

I'm not sure how exactly to find the best English pronounciations (like the kweah kohng) for the others...the ones I have are from various online sources that happened to have small selections of words.

[littlepiggie818]

Hi: Chào. (jow)
How are you: Khỏe không? (kweah kohng?)
I'm fine: Khoẻ. (kweah)
Have a good day: Mo^t. ngay`vui vẻ - (I am not sure if this is the correct translation for it)
Goodbye: Chào. (jow)
Mom will be back: Me. sẻ trð lai sau
What is your name? Cô tên là gì? (goh theyn la yi)
My name is____: Tên tôi là _________
Yes: Vâng (affirmative)
No: Không. (kohng)
Please: Làm ơn. (lam uhhn)
Thank you: Cảm ơn. (gam uhhn)
I'm sorry: Xin lỗi. (seen loh'EE)
Help: Cứu với! (gih-OO vuh-y!)
Sick: Bệnh, Ôm'
I don't understand: Tôi không hiểu. (thoy kohng hee-oh)
Bathroom: Phòng vệ sinh
Now: Bây giờ (bee yuh...)
Later: Lát nữa (laht? neu'uh?)
Mom: Me.
Dad: Bô'
Child: Con (kon)
Baby: Em Bé
Come: Lại đây!
Sit: Ngồi
Wash Hands: Ru*ã tay
Eat: Ăn
Milk: Sữa
Breakfast: Bữa sáng (boo... ee? Sahng?)
Lunch: Bữa trưa (boo... ee? cheu-uh)
Wait: Chơ`
More: hơn (huhhhn) (I have never heard of this expression before), thêm (tehm)
All done: Xong rồi. (sah-ohng roh-ee...)
Put it here: -Dẻ ờ? đây

I just fixed some of the spelling.

Thanks so much!

I'm not sure how exactly to find the best English pronounciations (like the kweah kohng) for the others...the ones I have are from various online sources that happened to have small selections of words.

I was wondering about the pronunciation system that you have. For me that's not really helpful in pronouncing Vietnamese since it confuses me more when I read it. I wasn't sure if you wanted my input on the English pronunciation. But I'll try to see what I can do.

[TonyDigital]

I agree with Littlepiggie..."mot ngay vui ve" is not a typical/common everyday greeting such as "have a good day".

And for your "What is your name?" translation... Co^ would only be appropriate if speaking to a female. And one that is not too elderly either...it gets a little complicated hehe...

On a more curious note...why are you learning Vietnamese phrases?

[ConsideringLawSchool]

I work for a non-profit that serves a large community of recent immigrants from many different countries. I'm putting together a phrasebook for staff with basic phrases in each language, and Vietnamese was the only one where I have not yet been able to find anyone who is sufficiently bilingual to help me out here (most of our Vietnamese clients have no English).

[ConsideringLawSchool]

Hi: Chào. (jow)
How are you: Khỏe không? (kweah kohng?)
I'm fine: Khoẻ. (kweah)
Have a good day: Mo^t. ngay`vui vẻ - (I am not sure if this is the correct translation for it)
Goodbye: Chào. (jow)
Mom will be back: Me. sẻ trð lai sau
What is your name? Cô tên là gì? (goh theyn la yi)
My name is____: Tên tôi là _________
Yes: Vâng (affirmative)
No: Không. (kohng)
Please: Làm ơn. (lam uhhn)
Thank you: Cảm ơn. (gam uhhn)
I'm sorry: Xin lỗi. (seen loh'EE)
Help: Cứu với! (gih-OO vuh-y!)
Sick: Bệnh, Ôm'
I don't understand: Tôi không hiểu. (thoy kohng hee-oh)
Bathroom: Phòng vệ sinh
Now: Bây giờ (bee yuh...)
Later: Lát nữa (laht? neu'uh?)
Mom: Me.
Dad: Bô'
Child: Con (kon)
Baby: Em Bé
Come: Lại đây!
Sit: Ngồi
Wash Hands: Ru*ã tay
Eat: Ăn
Milk: Sữa
Breakfast: Bữa sáng (boo... ee? Sahng?)
Lunch: Bữa trưa (boo... ee? cheu-uh)
Wait: Chơ`
More: hơn (huhhhn) (I have never heard of this expression before), thêm (tehm)
All done: Xong rồi. (sah-ohng roh-ee...)
Put it here: -Dẻ ờ? đây

I just fixed some of the spelling.

Thanks so much!

I'm not sure how exactly to find the best English pronounciations (like the kweah kohng) for the others...the ones I have are from various online sources that happened to have small selections of words.

I was wondering about the pronunciation system that you have. For me that's not really helpful in pronouncing Vietnamese since it confuses me more when I read it. I wasn't sure if you wanted my input on the English pronunciation. But I'll try to see what I can do.

Basically, I want English speakers to be able to say these things in a way that a native Vietnamese speaker would understand. For example, I would have no idea how to say "Bây giờ," but "bee yuh" I can attempt decently. What I'm going for is something like what a dictionary would have for the pronunciation of English words--the only thing is that it has to be in very simple terms since many of my staff using this guide aren't very good in English (they have a different native language).

[littlepiggie818]

Vietnamese can get quite complicated once you address who you are speaking to. If you want to address this I can tell you the basic, even though it might take a while to remember.

co^ - an older female who is younger than your mom
chu' - an older male someone who is younger than your father
bac' - an older male/female someone who is older than your parents
anh - a male who is older than you
chi. - a female who is older than you
em - a male/female who is younger than you
ba` - a female who is around your grandparents' age
o^ng - a male who is around your grandparents' age
ban. - a peer/friend/someone the same age as you

How are you? - ___ co' khoe? kho^ng? (For the blank, you just insert the title depend on the person age). If it's a female slightly older than you, it becomes - Chi. co' khoe? kho^ng?

What is your name? - ___ te^n la` gi`? (insert title in the blank)
-----------------------
Breakfast: Bữa sáng (boo... ee? Sahng?) - this is more of a translation for "morning"
Lunch: Bữa trưa (boo... ee? cheu-uh) - translation for "noon"

I also realized these two are not really correct translation. I think it's more along the line of:

Breakfast: A(n sang'
Lunch: A(n tru*a

Sorry I don't have the Vietnamese font program so that will just have to do for now. Hopefully that didn't confuse you much.

[ConsideringLawSchool]

Vietnamese can get quite complicated once you address who you are speaking to. If you want to address this I can tell you the basic, even though it might take a while to remember.

co^ - an older female who is younger than your mom
chu' - an older male someone who is younger than your father
bac' - an older male/female someone who is older than your parents
anh - a male who is older than you
chi. - a female who is older than you
em - a male/female who is younger than you
ba` - a female who is around your grandparents' age
o^ng - a male who is around your grandparents' age
ban. - a peer/friend/someone the same age as you

How are you? - ___ co' khoe? kho^ng? (For the blank, you just insert the title depend on the person age). If it's a female slightly older than you, it becomes - Chi. co' khoe? kho^ng?

What is your name? - ___ te^n la` gi`? (insert title in the blank)
-----------------------
Breakfast: Bữa sáng (boo... ee? Sahng?) - this is more of a translation for "morning"
Lunch: Bữa trưa (boo... ee? cheu-uh) - translation for "noon"

I also realized these two are not really correct translation. I think it's more along the line of:

Breakfast: A(n sang'
Lunch: A(n tru*a

Sorry I don't have the Vietnamese font program so that will just have to do for now. Hopefully that didn't confuse you much.

No, this is all very helpful. I appreciate it.

My challenge is I need to focus on the most simple, non-offensive way of saying things. There is no way my staff will learn lots of different ways of addressing people though pronouns (many of them don't even have that level of English). So, I think that my focus is really how to get some simple pronunciations of things that won't offend anyone old or young, man or woman, if that makes sense.

[ConsideringLawSchool]

Thanks again for those who have been helpful. Can anyone lend a hand with the pronounciations? Thanks

[ConsideringLawSchool]

Thanks again for those who have been helpful. Can anyone lend a hand with the pronounciations? Thanks

I know it's an odd question, but any other help? Thanks.

[littlepiggie818]

I am sorry I wish I could help with the pronunciation, but it seems very tough for me to try and type another way to pronounce it. The best I can do is tell you how it sounds like over the phone. If you're interested, pm me.