PERSONAL PRONOUNS
In the Vietnamese language, it is often difficult for foreigners to know how to address relatives and people of different ages:
1. In social:
ông - the same age with your grandfather:
bà - the same age with your grandmother
bác - the older than your father/mother. bác: female and male
cô - younger than father/mother, only female
chú - younger than father/mother, only male
anh - older than you, male
chị - older than you, female
em - younger than you, male and female
bạn - the same age with you
2.In family:
ông ngoại - mother's father
bà ngoại - mother's mother
ông nội - father's father
bà nội - father's mother
bác - older sister/older brother of father/mother
chú - younger brother of father, chú's wife: thím
cậu - younger brother of mother, cậu's wife: mợ
cô - younger sister of father
dì - younger sister of mother
cô/dì's husband: chú
In friendship with people the same age:
bạn/cậu: you ( talk with him/her) - polite
tôi/tớ/mình: I - polite
mày: you (talk with him/her) - (close friend can use)
tao: I (close friend can use)
If you talk with ông/bà/bác/chú/cô/dì/cậu/thím/mợ you say:
- cháu - normal - I
- con (very close) - I
If you talk with anh/chị you say: em - I
If you talk with em you say: chị, anh - I
If you talk with people older than you, should not call him/her by him/her name,
Or second person pronoun + their name
it's impolite.
If you talk with people younger than you, you can call him/her by him/her name, it's OK
P/S: If you are members of the communist party. Or sometimes, people call someone else like that when they are joking:
I - tôi, you: đồng chí.
P/S:
Please DO NOT reupload our post on any social platforms without our permission.
Thank you so much!
In the Vietnamese language, it is often difficult for foreigners to know how to address relatives and people of different ages:
1. In social:
ông - the same age with your grandfather:
bà - the same age with your grandmother
bác - the older than your father/mother. bác: female and male
cô - younger than father/mother, only female
chú - younger than father/mother, only male
anh - older than you, male
chị - older than you, female
em - younger than you, male and female
bạn - the same age with you
2.In family:
ông ngoại - mother's father
bà ngoại - mother's mother
ông nội - father's father
bà nội - father's mother
bác - older sister/older brother of father/mother
chú - younger brother of father, chú's wife: thím
cậu - younger brother of mother, cậu's wife: mợ
cô - younger sister of father
dì - younger sister of mother
cô/dì's husband: chú
In friendship with people the same age:
bạn/cậu: you ( talk with him/her) - polite
tôi/tớ/mình: I - polite
mày: you (talk with him/her) - (close friend can use)
tao: I (close friend can use)
If you talk with ông/bà/bác/chú/cô/dì/cậu/thím/mợ you say:
- cháu - normal - I
- con (very close) - I
If you talk with anh/chị you say: em - I
If you talk with em you say: chị, anh - I
If you talk with people older than you, should not call him/her by him/her name,
Or second person pronoun + their name
it's impolite.
If you talk with people younger than you, you can call him/her by him/her name, it's OK
P/S: If you are members of the communist party. Or sometimes, people call someone else like that when they are joking:
I - tôi, you: đồng chí.
P/S:
Please DO NOT reupload our post on any social platforms without our permission.
Thank you so much!
Last edited: