Vietnamese Pho NoodlesPho Noodle for the Pho Lovers
Pronunciation of Pho and Other Vietnamese Words and Phrases
Updated 03-10-10. I’m guessing that there may be folks out there who are looking for help with pronunciation of Vietnamese words and phrases, and are looking for accurate and easy to understand guidance and reference on how to properly pronounce certain words in Vietnamese. This post aims to help you with exactly what a word or phrase should sound like, in both Northern and Southern Vietnamese accents when appropriate.
A single sound can sometime confuse you even more than no sound at all. Therefore, I’ll also provide full sentences to demonstrate how the words/phrases should really sound in everyday conversation. You should be able to recognize these sounds in both English and Vietnamese conversational sentences.
For the definitive guide to pronounce “pho” in complete conversational sentences with both English and Vietnamese audio, please read my post on “Pho Pronunciation.”
Here are some useful Vietnamese phrases in no particular order.
- Pronounce: Pho bac – Northern style pho
- “This bowl of pho bac is quite big.”
- “I eat pho bac every chance I get.”
- Pronounce: Pho chay – vegetarian pho
(Southern then Northern accents)- “Pho chay has no meat ingredients.”
- “I had some pho chay just last week.”
- Pronounce: Pho ga – chicken pho
- Pronounce: Pho tai – rare beef pho
- “My friend Mason orders pho tai every time.”
- “Pho tai is very easy to enjoy.”
- Pronounce: Hu tieu – a different kind of noodle dish
- “I’ll have some hu tieu when pho is not available.”
- “Hu tieu uses the same noodle as pho.”
- Pronounce: Tan Son Nhut (or Tan Son Nhat)
- “Tan Son Nhut,” Southern Viet accent.
- “Tan Son Nhat,” Northern Viet accent.
- Pronounce: Hue-Saigon-Hanoi
- “Hue-Saigon-Hanoi,” Southern Viet accent.
- “Hue-Saigon-Hanoi,” Northern Viet accent.
- Pronounce: Bun thit nuong cha gio (Bún thịt nướng chả giò)
- Southern Viet accent, slow then faster.
- Northern Viet accent, slow then faster.
- Pronounce: Cà phê sữa đá / Cà phê sữa nóng (milk coffee, iced/hot)
- Southern Viet accent, cà phê sữa đá.
- Northern Viet accent, cà phê sữa đá.
- Southern Viet accent, cà phê sữa nóng.
- Northern Viet accent, cà phê sữa nóng.
- Pronounce: Sữa chua (sour milk or yogurt)
- Southern then Northern accents.
- Pronounce: Chè sữa chua nếp cẩm (dessert: yogurt with sticky rice and coconut milk)
- Southern Viet accent, slow then faster.
- Northern Viet accent, slow then faster.
- Pronounce: Dĩa tái sống (plate of uncooked sliced steak)
- Southern then Northern accents.
- Pronounce: Xin chúc mừng cho 50 năm hôn nhân và gia đình tuyệt vời (Happy 50th wedding anniversary and a splendid/magnificent family.) See comment #18 below.
- Northern accent.
- Southern accent.
- Pronounce: Xin chúc mừng 50 năm hôn nhân và dồi dào sức khỏe, thọ lâu muôn tuổi (Happy 50th wedding anniversary, with great health and longevity.) See comment #18 below.
- Northern accent.
- Southern accent.
- Pronounce: Chúc mừng sinh nhật (Happy Birthday.) See comments #20 and #21 below.
- Pronounce: Bún Bò Huế (Hue-style spicy beef noodle). Southern then northern accent.
- Pronounce: Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang (hu tieu Phnom Penh-style noodle). Southern then northern accent.
- Pronounce: Bún Mắm (fermented fish soup noodle). Southern then northern accent.
- Pronounce: Mì Quảng. Southern then northern accent.
- Pronounce: Việt Nam. Southern then northern accent.
- Pronounce: Xin Chúa nhận lỗi chúng con (Lord forgive our sins.) Southern then northern accent.
- Pronounce: Chúc Mừng Năm Mới (Happy New Year.) Southern and northern accent are similar.
- Pronounce: Bà Nội (Grandmother – maternal) and Ông Nội (Grandfather – paternal.) Southern and northern accent are similar.
- Pronounce: Gỏi cuốn (Spring roll.) Southern then northern accents.
- Pronounce: Đặng Thùy Trâm. Southern and northern accent are similar.
- Translate and pronounce: “Hey, just hold on there a minute!” This can be translated to several different ways in Vietnamese, depending on the context, personality and region of the speaker. Several variations are provided, but not by any means exhaustive, and each is just as valid and applicable as the other. Only southern accent is provided. First all 4 variations in written form, then audio of all 4 together.
- 1. “Khoan, chờ một chút, từ từ đã!” “Wait, just a moment, slow down!”
- 2. “Từ từ, chờ chút!” “Slow down, just a moment!”
- 3. “Khoan, chờ một chút!” “Wait, just a moment!”
- 4. “Khoan, từ từ đã, chờ một chút!” “Wait, slow down, just a moment!”
- Pronounce: Xinh. Southern then northern accent.
 In cutlery section of a Little Saigon supermarket: “Please do not use knives to cut the jackfruit. Thank you.” |
Have a word or phrase you’d like to hear? Here’s what you do: Leave a comment to this post with the word(s) you would like to hear pronounced, and I’ll post a response with audio files demonstrating exactly how they should sound. Please include as much information about the words as you can, with maybe the context you find them in, their meanings (if you know), or where you encountered them. This is because with proper accent marks the same looking words may have different pronunciation and meanings altogether. This will help me say them correctly for you. This site is about pho first and foremost, but I’ll post answers to whatever inquiry received.
Related pho posts
Posted on Apr 3rd, 2009 and filed under Pho Op-Ed, Pho Pronunciation, Menu & Ordering. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response by filling following comment form or trackback to this entry from your site
[...] or would like some guidance or even request help, head on over to read my post on “Pronunciation of Pho and Other Vietnamese Words and Phrases,” and leave a request. [...]
I read your blog for a long time and should tell you that your posts are always valuable to readers.
@Ex Boyfriend. Thanks for leaving a comment. I see a lot of misinformed resources about pho on the Internet and would like to offer a more accurate version of everything there is to know about pho. I’m glad you find the info useful.
Would you please pronounce bun thit nuong cha gio,
@Reg Nesbitt. Thanks for dropping by and leaving a request. Please see number 8 above, and have fun ordering your next bun thit nuong cha gio!
I am a teacher and we are going to begin reading th book Good-Bye Vietnam. There are a few words and names I want to know how to pronounce so I can teach my students
1. Thay Chap
2. onh thay phap
3. Muoi
4. Quach Loc
5. Ho Chi Minh
@Gina. Thanks for your request. Since some of these words have different meanings depending on the context and each word can have 3-6 varieties of writing and pronouncing (with correct vowels and tone marks), can you provide maybe a sentence from the book?
I’m not familiar with the book, but a quick inspection on Amazon Look Inside feature tells me that it has a number of misspelled Viet words such as the name Thant (should be Thanh or Than or Thang, omitting proper vowel and tone marks) and several others. One on your list may be misspelled: “ong thay phap” (instead of “onh thay phap”). All five look like proper names except for #2 which could be “ong thay Phap” which means “the French teacher.”
If you can provide some sentences in context, I’d be glad to provide pronunciation for them. No additional info is needed for #5.
Hi – love the site! Could you please tell me how to pronounce (I’m sorry, can’t put on accents!) ’sua’ – as in milk. I can make myself understood ok but would love to know how to say it *properly*! in these phrases:
Ca phe sua da / nong
sua chua
sua chua nem com
Thanks very much!
I can now order my favorite dish properly – Bún thịt nướng chả giò – at Pho 777 in Chicago. Thank you for your work here, I love your website.
@Felicity. Thanks for the kind words. Which context works for you in the following?
“sua chua” or sửa chữa means to fix or adjust, or
“sua chua” or sữa chua means sour milk or yogurt.
“sua chua nem com”
This one may have multiple meanings with proper accent marks. Can you give me some context?
@Carmie. Great! I’m so happy this helped you. Did they look at you funny or stunned in awe?
@Felicity. After some research I think understand your request now. What you want, I think, are the following:
Cà phê sữa đá / nóng
Sữa chua
Chè sữa chua nếp cẩm
They’re up as numbers 9, 10, and 11. Thanks for visiting. Enjoy.
“Did they look at you funny or stunned in awe?”
hehehe. Both! I spent several years working at the corner of Argyle & Broadway in Chicago and got to know many of the restaurants & owners. Not many Italian gals would wander in their shops alone for lunch. That was the late 80’s! I missed the food most of all when I left that job. So this summer I vowed to go back & rediscover my favorite dishes, and luckily my hubby is game. Been way too long. Cafe sua da leaves Starbucks in the dust. Thanks again for your help.
@Carmie You’re very welcome. You worked at Vietnamese restaurants for 2 years? As I understand it that area is full of ethnic shops and activities. How cool is that?
And yeah the Starbucks stuff is too watered down and over priced.
hi i was wondering what a girlfriend calls her boyfriend and vice versa to my knowledge its am or em and an or on. Is this correct and if not please educateme.
amy: In Vietnamese, a husband/wife or BF/GF relationships are similar. The male always takes the “older brother” role regardless of age, and is addressed as “anh” by the female companion. The female takes the “little sister” role as “em” – pronounced just like the letter “m” – as addressed by her companion. Hope that helps.
how do I say: xin chúc mừng cho 50 năm hôn nhân và gia đình tuyệt vời.
Hi Jeannine,
Thanks for your request. Please see #13 above for the audio.
While what you’re requesting is technically correct (the words “xin chúc mừng cho 50 năm hôn nhân và gia đình tuyệt vời” in effect mean “Happy 50th wedding anniversary and a splendid/magnificent (or various other synonyms) family,” the words “gia đình tuyệt vời” may be more suitable for a younger couple. Therefore you may not want to use it for people past their 60’s and 70’s, which is what the 50th anniversary implies.
You may want to try this: “Xin chúc mừng 50 năm hôn nhân và dồi dào sức khỏe, thọ lâu muôn tuổi,” which is #14.
[...] a guide on some Viet pronunciation including “pho chay,” read my post on “Pronunciation of Pho and Other Vietnamese Words and Phrases.” Share this [...]
Can you please translate the Happy Birthday song in vietnamese?
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday, Happy BIrthday.
Happy Birthday to you
Hi Katie,
Thanks for the request. This is a tough one. Let me try and help this way.
“Happy Birthday” translated strictly into Vietnamese is Chúc mừng sinh nhật. Chúc mừng is congratulate and sinh nhật is birthday. Here’s how it sounds with a Southern Viet accent:
Pronounce Chúc mừng sinh nhật
But translating for singing? That’s another matter. When Happy Birthday is sung in Vietnamese (and I’m sure as in many other languages,) it no longer retains the exact words and meaning because it just doesn’t sound right. Most Vietnamese, including those in Vietnam, sing the song in English. People get creative and use similar meanings for singing, as long as it conveys the idea that you are wishing someone a happy birthday. I’m neither a singer nor a songwriter so will have to borrow someone else’s work here. Below is one way to do it in Vietnamese. Enjoy.
One way to sing Chúc mừng sinh nhật.
[...] learn how to pronounce it (although gesturing to a menu item will usually get you what you want). Loving Pho features an excellent pronunciation [...]
I’m so glad I found your site, it’s been extremely helpful so far. Could you tell me how to pronounce mi quang? The q has me confused, as I haven’t run across it anywhere else.
Hi Vicki. The pronunciation for mì quảng is number 19 above. I think one reason for your confusion is the following: southern pronunciation of “quang” sounds like “wang,” while northern pronunciation sounds like “quang” with the “qu” pronouncing like those in the English word “quit.” Enjoy your mì quảng.
I was wondering if you could translate a phrase from the Movie Hamburger Hill ?
I have been searching and can not find the meaning of the words.
It is in this youtube clip.
5:11 into the clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTctSHzg2dM&feature=email
they say something like. . .
ly dohomo ky boku ohem
KeNnyHoR$e: Thanks for the request but unfortunately I myself cannot make out what the actors were saying. The scene itself is not even in the script shown by this link http://www.angelfire.com/movies/closedcaptioned/ham.txt
Here’s my take:
Like many Hollywood movies with Asian dialogues (and I would venture to say that this is true in other non-English dialogues) accuracy and correctness in the dialogues are never a priority. Sadly this is not an isolated incident. A few that come to mind include John Wayne’s The Green Berets and the Rambo movies, which are notorious for not getting the language right. Granted Vietnamese “advisers” for Hollywood movies were few and far between before 1975, but the problem persisted after ‘75 as well. During the scenes with supposed Vietnamese dialogues, Vietnamese audience would just look at each other and shrug. A few may go: “what was that?”
One movie off the top of my head, Mel Gibson’s We Were Soldiers, did use Viet actors and dialogues for many speaking VC characters, but the problem is the dialogues sounded more like speeches in the class room (too formal) and not appropriate for military/battlefield situations. That VC Commander would not have talked the way he did to his troops during those scenes inside the tunnels. So there you have it: the challenge of getting it right.
With respect to Hamburger Hill, my conclusion is:
1) EIther the scene’s Viet dialogue was just made up by the director/screenplay writer, or
2) They did have a Viet language adviser but the actors just couldn’t get it right in the time that they had shooting the scene.
What’s the correct pronunciation of the name of the country, Vietnam, and are there different pronunciations depending on the region?
Dave Brast: Thanks for your question. The name Vietnam, or Việt Nam, is very easy to pronounced by English speaking people. For the Vietnamese speaking people, the two main variations have to do with how one pronounces the letter V in either northern or southern accents. A northern Viet pronounces the V like a normal “v” as in “voice,” but a southern Viet pronounces the V like the “y” in the English word “young.”
Thanks for your explanation, Cuong Huynh. I’m glad to know all that, but actually the uncertainty that prompted my original question was about the pronunciation of Nam, and I failed to mention that because I thought you’d be sending me a sound clip.
So, does Nam in Viet Nam rhyme with the American pronunciation of the name Tom or with the name Sam? Hope to hear from you on this.
Dave Brast: I understand your question now. The pronunciation is number 20 above. Nam should be pronounced as in “Notre Dame” with the French accent, no matter what regions of the country. The “Sam” sound, in my opinion, is a derogative use of the word, born out possibly from the Southern U.S. accents. Its use is much like “Jap” for “Japanese” from WWII, in my opinion. It had its time.
Thank you so much for your reply. What you answered was what I had heard from other sources, but coming from a native speaker, your statement is definitive.
By the way, I too had guessed as you did as to the origin of the”Sam” sound.
Thanks again.
Dave Brast: Thanks for your interesting question. You’re one of the few who noticed this differing pronunciation of Nam. I cringe when I hear someone say it the wrong way for many reasons, one of which is “Nem,” which is a Vietnamese fermented pork roll. Ouch! So this gave us a chance to discuss, explain and set it right. You rock!
I recalled that Lyndon Johnson pronounced Viet Nam to rhyme with Sam, so I did some searching with YouTube and found a speech of his in which he says it just that way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAQPh5zYFUs&feature=PlayList&p=0A9C4120DB772CD9&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=8. Given that he caused so much death and destruction in Viet Nam, I can see why you might cringe.
In the same vein as your remark about Nem, I had guessed that even the correct pronunciation of Nam, if it were part of Viet Nam but without the correct accents and tonal values, might mean something entirely different. Is that true, and if so what are some other meanings Viet Nam can have depending on tonal values and accents?
Dave Brast: I wouldn’t say LBJ caused “so much death and destruction,” at least not in the way you wrote, and certainly I cringe not because of LBJ, but again because of the pronunciation of the word Nam itself by anyone.
The words Viet Nam are two of the easiest to pronounce in our language, and except for those I described already, there is no other regional variations. Viet means the Viet people, and Nam means South, in relation to Trung Hoa, the center that is China. I don’t think there are any other significant accents or tonal values, or meanings for these 2 words. which is really one word when written in Vietnamese as Việt-Nam.
Thanks for answering.
Dave Brast: thanks for stopping by. Come back soon.
Hi, can you please tell me how to say: Xin Chua nham loi chung con.
I am the music director at a church and we are singing several phrases in various languages. I believe this translates roughly as Lord hear our prayer.
Thanks for your help.
Chris: Thanks for your request. Please see number 21 above. I think the actual phrase should be “Xin Chúa nhận lỗi chúng con” with an n in nhan, and not an m. Anyway “Xin Chua” means “Dear Lord,” “nhận lỗi” means essentially “accept sins or faults,” and “chung con” means “us or our.” So I would translate it to Lord forgive our sins or Lord accept our sins.
Thanks for your response. That will really help us say it correctly! I appreciate the translation too.
Chris: Thanks for stopping by. It’s my pleasure to help out.
Hello My neighbours are vienamese and I wasw wonder how to say this sentence “Chúc Mung Nam Moi”. It means “Happy new year.”
Thank you so much.
Respectfully Yours
Kalena
Kalena: Thanks for dropping by with a request. You can pronounce Chúc Mừng Năm Mới or Happy New Year in Vietnamese as noted in number 22. above. Have fun and definitely Chúc Mừng Năm Mới to you too!
Xin Chúa nhâm lòi chúng con.
It is the Vietnamese version of “Lord, hear our prayer.”
Since this is sung to different tunes, I would love to hear a spoken recording that would help me be more confident of the phonemes.
Many thanks.
Eldo Bergman: Thanks for your request. It’s actually been asked by Chris and answered (see a few comments up above) and the pronunciation is number 21 in the post. Maybe you and Chris should hook up.
Got it. Thanks.
Good morning! Can you please tell me how to pronounce “ba noi” and “ong noi” (grandma & grandpa)? My son is starting to talk, so it’d be nice if I knew how to say them properly in front of my in-laws. Thanks so much!
Could you please pronounce “spring roll” — gỏi cuốn?
Thanks!
I’m reading Last Night I Dreamed of Peace. How you you pronounce the woman’s name – Thuy
Em: Thanks for your request. Please see number 23 above for “ba noi” and “ong noi” (grandma & grandpa, both paternal.)
Jennifer Lee: Thanks for your request. Enjoy some goi cuon for me too. Goi cuon pronunciation is as shown in number 24 above.
Linda: Hi, I think her full name is Đặng Thùy Trâm, and the pronunciation is as shown in number 25 above.
what is the best site to learn vietnamese i like vietnamese women and when i meet them i dont know waht to say
Ron
ron: I’m not familiar with websites teaching Vietnamese, so can’t recommend one for you. I can offer the following though. If you mean to meet Vietnamese women in the U.S. then I’m sure they at least speak some English, if not already fluent. Of course there are always some who don’t speak English, but regardless of whether you mean Vietnamese women in Vietnam or overseas, one thing is for sure: just be yourself, be sincere, behave gentlemanly, and show that you understand her culture, and assuming you do all that in honesty, you won’t have problem attracting Vietnamese women. Sorry I can’t help you much more than this.
Hello Cuong,
I am in a play and I’d like to say a phrase in Vietnamese. My character is not Vietnamese, but is fluent in a variety of languages. The phrase, in English, is “Hey, just hold on there a minute!”
The context is the other character wants to do something to the character I play, my character wants him to stop, and says that phrase in several different languages.
Can you help?
Can you please pronounce this song.
Đi học về là đi học về
Em vào nhà em chào cha mẹ
Cha mẹ khen rằng con rất ngoan
Mẹ âu yếm thơm lên má em
thanks for the great post. Can you please teach me to say Pork Pho in Vietnamese? Will be eternally grateful!
Kara: Thanks for your request. As I’ve mentioned before, my singing department is quite lacking with the proper talent to do any justice to the song. And while I can just read these lines off for you, I think it’s much better to employ a young talent to help out. Here’s the song Đi Học Về or essentially “Home From School”
Đi Học Về, http://tdbe.mp3.zing.vn/mp3/nghe-bai-hat/Di-Hoc-Ve-Thieu-Nhi.IWZFOCIA.html
Caroline: Thank you for your request about pork pho. Unfortunately, pork pho doesn’t really exist in Vietnam or to a Vietnamese, at least as far as I know. The closest I can think of what you want is hu tieu but I don’t think that’s what you meant. If one translates it to Vietnamese, pork pho would be “pho heo” and though it’s not hard to pronounce, it would sound quite strange and funny because pho heo doesn’t exist.
My theory is, pork pho recipe and their availability at your local restaurants are concoction by restaurateurs and chefs to attract new, non-Viet clientele. They’re not what a Viet would expect to exist and order.
Hello Cuong,
I’m the person who asked about the phrase “Hey, just hold on there a minute” for use in a play.
How come you have not answered?
Miriam
Hi Miriam: My response to your request will be up in a few minutes.
Hi Miriam: Please see audio number 26 above. It’s not a simple translation, but I give you some options so you can pick whatever works for you. Good luck and thanks for the request! It was fun. Wish I can see you in action on stage.
This is so terrific! Thank you!
We adopted our oldest son from Vietnam (Vung Tau) and have heard so many different ways to pronounce his given name (now his middle name) that I hesitate to try anymore. His middle name is Xinh. Any help? Thanks!
Hi Robyn: I’m sure your adopted son has a good home. The name Xinh should be quite easy to pronounce, though I’m not sure if there are any accent marks associated with this uncommon name. The pronunciation number 27 above assumes no accent mark on the name. Hope this helps.
Thank you so much! There are no accents marks on his name. We’ve always pronounced it with the southern accent since he’s from the south and will continue to do so. Again, thank you so much!