100+ Vietnamese Slang Words and Expressions You Need to Know

Table of Contents

• Common Everyday Slang
• Youth & Internet Slang
• Expressions & Idioms
• Food & Drink Related
• Social & Friendly Terms
• Work & Money Related
• Informal Exclamations
• Regional Variations
• Vulgar Slang
• Love & Relationships

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Understanding Vietnamese slang is essential for anyone wanting to connect authentically with Vietnamese speakers and navigate the rich cultural landscape of Vietnam. While formal Vietnamese is taught in schools, everyday conversations are filled with colorful expressions, regional variations, and modern slang that reflect the country's dynamic culture and rapid modernization. This comprehensive guide introduces you to 100+ essential Vietnamese slang words and expressions that will help you sound more natural and understand contemporary Vietnamese culture.

Common Everyday Slang

• Anh/Chị: Bro/Sis (informal address for older people). Anh ơi, giúp em với! (Bro, help me!)
• Em: Little sibling (informal address for younger people). Em làm gì đấy? (What are you doing, little one?)
• Bạn: Friend, buddy. Bạn của tôi. (My friend.)
• Thằng/Con: Guy/Girl (can be neutral or slightly rude). Thằng này hài quá. (This guy is so funny.)
• Ông/Bà: Old man/woman (can be respectful or mocking). Ông này giỏi thật. (This old man is really good.)
• Tụi tao: We, us (informal). Tụi tao đi chơi nhé. (We're going out to have fun.)
• Mày/Tao: You/I (very informal, close friends only). Mày làm gì đấy? (What are you doing?)
• Kool/Cool: Cool (borrowed from English). Kool quá! (So cool!)
• OK: Okay (borrowed from English). OK, đi thôi. (OK, let's go.)
• Xịn: High-quality, genuine, cool. Cái này xịn thật. (This is really high-quality.)
• Chất: Cool, awesome, high-quality. Bài hát này chất quá. (This song is awesome.)
• Ngầu: Cool, badass. Anh ấy ngầu lắm. (He's so cool/badass.)
• Bá đạo: Awesome, amazing (literally "dominating the way"). Bá đạo quá! (So awesome!)
• Tiền: Money. Không có tiền. (Don't have money.)
• Nhà: House, home. Về nhà thôi. (Let's go home.)
• Xe: Vehicle, car/motorbike. Xe tôi hỏng rồi. (My vehicle is broken.)
• Việc: Work, job, thing. Có việc gì không? (Is there anything/any work?)
• Đồ: Stuff, things. Đồ gì đây? (What stuff is this?)

Youth & Internet Slang

• Chào: Hello, hi. Chào bạn! (Hello friend!)
• Bye: Bye (borrowed from English). Bye nhé! (Bye!)
• Thanks: Thanks (borrowed from English). Thanks bạn! (Thanks friend!)
• Sorry: Sorry (borrowed from English). Sorry nhé. (Sorry.)
• Crush: Crush (borrowed from English). Tôi có crush. (I have a crush.)
• Flex: To show off (borrowed from English). Đừng flex nữa. (Don't show off anymore.)
• Mood: Mood (borrowed from English). Mood quá! (Such a mood!)
• Vibe: Vibe (borrowed from English). Vibe tốt. (Good vibe.)
• Trend: Trend (borrowed from English). Trend mới. (New trend.)
• Hype: Hype (borrowed from English). Hype lắm. (So much hype.)
• Slay: Slay (borrowed from English). Slay quá! (Slay!)
• Stan: To be a fan of (borrowed from English). Tôi stan BTS. (I stan BTS.)
• Ship: To support a romantic pairing. Tôi ship hai người này. (I ship these two people.)
• Toxic: Toxic (borrowed from English). Toxic quá. (So toxic.)
• Cringe: Cringeworthy (borrowed from English). Cringe ghê. (So cringe.)

Expressions & Idioms

• Không sao: It's okay, no problem. Không sao đâu. (It's okay.)
• Tùy bạn: Up to you. Tùy bạn thôi. (It's up to you.)
• Thôi kệ: Whatever, forget it. Thôi kệ đi. (Whatever, forget it.)
• Chán quá: So boring. Chán quá đi. (So boring.)
• Hay quá: So interesting/good. Hay quá! (So good!)
• Ghê quá: So scary/intense. Ghê quá! (So scary!)
• Cute quá: So cute. Cute quá đi! (So cute!)
• Buồn cười: Funny, ridiculous. Buồn cười thật. (Really funny/ridiculous.)
• Bực mình: Annoyed, frustrated. Bực mình quá. (So frustrated.)
• Vui quá: So happy/fun. Vui quá! (So fun!)
• Mệt quá: So tired. Mệt quá rồi. (So tired already.)
• Đói quá: So hungry. Đói quá rồi. (So hungry already.)
• No căng: Very full (after eating). No căng bụng. (Stomach is very full.)
• Sướng quá: So happy/comfortable. Sướng quá! (So good!)

Food & Drink Related

• Đồ ăn: Food. Đồ ăn ngon quá. (The food is so delicious.)
• Cơm: Rice, meal. Ăn cơm chưa? (Have you eaten yet?)
• Nước: Water, drink. Uống nước gì? (What do you want to drink?)
• Bia: Beer. Uống bia không? (Want to drink beer?)
• Rượu: Alcohol, liquor. Rượu mạnh quá. (The alcohol is too strong.)
• Cà phê: Coffee. Cà phê sữa đá. (Iced coffee with milk.)
• Trà: Tea. Trà đá. (Iced tea.)
• Phở: Vietnamese noodle soup. Phở bò tái. (Rare beef pho.)
• Bánh mì: Vietnamese sandwich. Bánh mì thịt nướng. (Grilled pork bánh mì.)
• Bún: Rice vermicelli. Bún bò Huế. (Hue-style spicy noodle soup.)
• Chè: Vietnamese sweet soup/dessert. Chè ba màu. (Three-color sweet soup.)
• Nem: Spring rolls. Nem rán. (Fried spring rolls.)
• Gỏi: Salad. Gỏi cuốn. (Fresh spring rolls.)

Social & Friendly Terms

• Bạn bè: Friends. Bạn bè thân thiết. (Close friends.)
• Đồng nghiệp: Colleagues. Đồng nghiệp văn phòng. (Office colleagues.)
• Hàng xóm: Neighbors. Hàng xóm tốt bụng. (Kind neighbors.)
• Gia đình: Family. Gia đình tôi. (My family.)
• Anh em: Brothers, buddies. Anh em thân thiết. (Close brothers/buddies.)
• Chị em: Sisters, female friends. Chị em gái. (Female friends.)
• Bố mẹ: Parents. Bố mẹ tôi. (My parents.)
• Con cái: Children. Con cái ngoan. (Well-behaved children.)
• Ông bà: Grandparents. Ông bà nội. (Paternal grandparents.)
• Họ hàng: Relatives. Họ hàng xa gần. (Near and distant relatives.)
• Nhóm: Group. Nhóm bạn thân. (Group of close friends.)
• Đội: Team. Đội bóng đá. (Football team.)

Work & Money Related

• Làm việc: Work. Đi làm việc. (Going to work.)
• Công ty: Company. Công ty lớn. (Big company.)
• Sếp: Boss. Sếp tốt. (Good boss.)
• Nhân viên: Employee. Nhân viên mới. (New employee.)
• Lương: Salary. Lương cao. (High salary.)
• Tiền bạc: Money. Tiền bạc quan trọng. (Money is important.)
• Đồng: Vietnamese currency (VND). Một triệu đồng. (One million dong.)
• Đô la: Dollar. Đô la Mỹ. (US dollar.)
• Kinh doanh: Business. Kinh doanh nhỏ. (Small business.)
• Văn phòng: Office. Văn phòng hiện đại. (Modern office.)
• Ca làm: Work shift. Ca làm đêm. (Night shift.)
• Nghỉ phép: Vacation. Nghỉ phép dài. (Long vacation.)

Informal Exclamations

• Ơi: Oh (attention-getting). Anh ơi! (Hey bro!)
• Ôi: Oh (surprise). Ôi trời ơi! (Oh my god!)
• Wow: Wow (borrowed from English). Wow, đẹp quá! (Wow, so beautiful!)
• Ối giời ơi: Oh my god. Ối giời ơi, sao thế? (Oh my god, what happened?)
• Trời ạ: Oh god. Trời ạ, khó quá! (Oh god, so difficult!)
• Mẹ ơi: Oh mother (exclamation). Mẹ ơi, sợ quá! (Oh mother, so scary!)
• Chao ôi: Oh my. Chao ôi, to quá! (Oh my, so big!)
• Ủa: Huh, what. Ủa, sao thế? (Huh, what happened?)
• Hả: Huh, really. Hả, thật không? (Huh, really?)
• Ui: Oops, oh. Ui, quên mất. (Oops, forgot.)

Regional Variations

Northern Vietnam (Hanoi)

• Tôi/Bạn: I/You (formal). Tôi đi trước nhé. (I'll go first.)
• Mình: I/You (intimate). Mình đi đâu? (Where are you going?)
• Phải: Right, correct. Phải rồi. (That's right.)
• Giờ: Now, time. Giờ này rồi. (It's this time already.)

Central Vietnam (Hue)

• Tui/Mi: I/You (regional). Tui không biết. (I don't know.)
• Nhỉ: Right (question tag). Đẹp nhỉ? (Beautiful, right?)
• Hén: See you later (regional). Hén gặp lại. (See you later.)

Southern Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City)

• Tui/Bạn: I/You (regional). Tui đi chợ. (I'm going to the market.)
• Dạ/Vâng: Yes (polite). Dạ, được rồi. (Yes, okay.)
• Dzậy/Zậy: Like that (southern pronunciation). Dzậy à? (Like that?)
• Gì dzậy: What's that (southern). Gì dzậy? (What's that?)

Vulgar Slang

• Đm: Damn it (abbreviated curse). Đm, quên mất. (Damn it, forgot.)
• Cặc: Dick (very vulgar). Cặc gì đây? (What the f*ck is this?)
• Lồn: Cunt (very vulgar). Lồn gì thế? (What the f*ck?)
• Đụ: Fck (very vulgar). Đụ má. (Fck.)
• Shit: Shit (borrowed from English). Shit, hỏng rồi. (Shit, it's broken.)
• F*ck: Fck (borrowed from English). _Fck, muộn rồi._ (F*ck, I'm late.)
• Khốn nạn: Damn, bastard. Thằng khốn nạn. (That bastard.)
• Chết tiệt: Damn it. Chết tiệt, mất rồi. (Damn it, it's lost.)
• Đồ khùng: Crazy person. Đồ khùng gì mà. (What a crazy person.)
• Ngu: Stupid. Ngu quá. (So stupid.)

Love & Relationships

• Yêu: Love. Anh yêu em. (I love you.)
• Thương: Love, care for. Thương anh lắm. (Love you so much.)
• Người yêu: Lover, boyfriend/girlfriend. Người yêu tôi. (My lover.)
• Bạn gái/Bạn trai: Girlfriend/boyfriend. Bạn gái xinh. (Beautiful girlfriend.)
• Vợ/Chồng: Wife/husband. Vợ tôi. (My wife.)
• Em bé: Baby (term of endearment). Em bé của anh. (My baby.)
• Cưng: Darling, sweetheart. Cưng ơi. (Darling.)
• Tim: Heart (from English). Tim anh. (My heart.)
• Hôn: Kiss. Hôn em đi. (Kiss me.)
• Ôm: Hug. Ôm anh đi. (Hug me.)
• Cưới: Marry. Cưới nhau đi. (Let's get married.)
• Chia tay: Break up. Chia tay rồi. (We broke up.)
• Độc thân: Single. Tôi độc thân. (I'm single.)

Gaming & Internet Culture

• Game: Game (borrowed from English). Chơi game không? (Want to play games?)
• Gamer: Gamer (borrowed from English). Tôi là gamer. (I'm a gamer.)
• Level: Level (borrowed from English). Level cao. (High level.)
• Boss: Boss (game boss). Boss khó quá. (The boss is too hard.)
• Lag: Lag (connection issues). Lag quá. (So much lag.)
• Ping: Ping (internet latency). Ping cao. (High ping.)
• Noob: Noob, newbie. Đừng noob. (Don't be a noob.)
• Pro: Pro, skilled player. Anh ấy pro lắm. (He's very pro.)
• Skill: Skill. Skill tốt. (Good skill.)
• Team: Team. Team mạnh. (Strong team.)
• Chat: Chat. Chat với tôi. (Chat with me.)
• Stream: Stream. Xem stream. (Watch stream.)
• Like: Like (social media). Like hộ tôi. (Give me a like.)
• Share: Share. Share video này. (Share this video.)

Traditional & Cultural Terms

• Tết: Lunar New Year. Tết đến rồi. (Tet is coming.)
• Áo dài: Traditional Vietnamese dress. Áo dài đẹp. (Beautiful ao dai.)
• Chùa: Pagoda, temple. Đi chùa cầu may. (Go to temple to pray for luck.)
• Phật: Buddha. Nam mô Phật. (Praise Buddha.)
• Tổ tiên: Ancestors. Thờ tổ tiên. (Worship ancestors.)
• Quê hương: Homeland, hometown. Quê hương tôi. (My homeland.)
• Làng: Village. Làng quê. (Rural village.)
• Đình: Village communal house. Đình làng. (Village communal house.)
• Nón lá: Conical hat. Đội nón lá. (Wear conical hat.)
• Xe ôm: Motorcycle taxi. Đi xe ôm. (Take motorcycle taxi.)
• Cyclo: Cycle rickshaw. Ngồi cyclo. (Ride cyclo.)
• Chợ: Market. Đi chợ. (Go to market.)

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This comprehensive guide provides essential Vietnamese slang spanning everyday conversations, regional variations, and modern internet culture. Vietnamese slang is particularly dynamic due to the country's rapid modernization and strong influence from English and social media. The tonal nature of Vietnamese also creates unique opportunities for wordplay and slang creation. The best way to master these expressions is through practice with native speakers and consuming Vietnamese media like music, movies, and social media content.