Absolute Beginner S1#1

1. Introducing Yourself in Vietnamese

You've just moved into a new place in Vietnam, and you can't wait to meet your neighbors. You don't know many
people in this Vietnamese city, so you're hoping you'll be able to make friends with the people who live around you!
In this Absolute Beginner lesson, you'll learn how to introduce yourself in Vietnamese, from a formal conversation
between two people who are meeting for the first time.

LESSON NOTES

CONTENTS
Vietnamese
English
Vocabulary
Sample Sentences
Vocabulary Phrase Usage
Grammar
Cultural Insight
VIETNAMESE
1. An: Xin cho, ti tn l An.
2. Mary: Xin cho, ti tn l Mary.
3. An: Rt vui c gp bn.
4. Mary: Ti cng vy.
5. An: Tm bit
6. Mary: Tm bit. Hn gp li.
ENGLISH
1. An: Hello. My name is An.
2. Mary: Hello. My name is Mary.
3. An: Nice to meet you.
4. Mary: Me too.
5. An: Goodbye.
6. Mary: Goodbye. See you again.
VOCABULARY

Vietnamese
xin cho
ti
tn
l
bn
vui
gp
Ti cng vy.
Tm bit
Hn gp li
Rt vui c gp bn.

English
Hello
I, me
name
to be
you person with the same
age with the 1st speaker
funny
to meet
Me too.
Goodbye, Bye
See you again
Nice to meet you.

Class
pronoun
noun
verb
pronoun
adjective
verb
expression
noun
phrase
expression

SAMPLE SENTENCES
Mi ngi ni Xin cho
The people say, Hello.
Ti khng nh tn bn.
I cant remember your name.
Ti khng bit tn c y.
I dont know her name.
ti gii thiu bn vi mt ngi bn ca
ti.
Let me introduce you to my friend.
Cho bn. Bn c khe khng?
Hello. How are you?

Ti l Lan.
I am Lan.
Anh ta ni anh ta tn l Nam.
He said his name is Nam.
Chng ti l khch du lch.
We are tourist.
Ti tn l Mary, cn bn th sao?
My name is Mary; and yours?
Ngi n ng vui tnh ang nhy m
khng mc qun.
The funny man is dancing without pants.
Rt vui c gp bn!
Nice to meet you!

Chng ta gp nhau vo tun sau c

khng?
Can we meet next weekend?
A: Ti rt thch nhc pop./ B: Ti cng vy. Tm bit. i cn thn nh!
A: I like pop music./ B: Me too.
Goodbye. Take care.
Hn gp li sau nh!
See you later!
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE

Ti means "I or me." This is the first person pronoun which can be used in both formal and
informal situations. But this is just the general equivalent of "I or me." Depending on gender, age
and relationship, this equivalent also varies in different situations.
Bn means "you." This is the general pronoun referring to the person directly talking with you
at the moment of speaking. Like the pronoun ti, bn is just the general equivalent of "you."
Depending on gender, age and relationship, this equivalent also varies in different situations.

Rt vui c gp bn literally means "I'm very happy to meet you" and can be understood as
"Nice to meet you" in English. Vietnamese people also say Rt vui c lm quen vi bn
which literally means "I'm happy to get acquainted with you" and this phrase is widely used
when meeting someone for the first time in Vietnam.
GRAMMAR
The Focus of this Lesson is Self-introductions in Vietnamese
Xin cho, ti tn l An.
Rt vui c gp bn.
"Hello. My name is An."
"Nice to meet you."
Xin cho means "hello" or "hi." It is used as a greeting when you meet another person. It can
be used to greet anyone, at any time of day and in both formal and informal situations. When
someone says xin cho to you, simply reply with the same greeting. Xin cho.
After saying hello, introduce your name by saying ti tn l + your name.
Ti means "I." Tn means "name" and l is the verb "to be." It can be literally translated as "I
am named" but it is usual way Vietnamese people introduce their name.
Then say Rt vui c gp bn. - "Nice to meet you." When someone says to you Rt vui
c gp bn, simply reply with Ti cng vy, which means "Me too."
For example:
1. Xin

cho, ti tn l Jenny. Rt vui c gp bn.

"Hello, my name is Jenny. Nice to meet you."
Examples from this dialogue:
An: Xin cho, ti tn l An.
Mary: Xin cho, ti tn l Mary.
An: Rt vui c gp bn.
Mary: Ti cng vy.
An: "Hello, my name is An."
Mary: "Hello, my name is Mary."
An: "Nice to meet you."
Mary: "Me too."
Sample Sentences
1. Xin

cho, ti tn l Lan. Rt vui c gp bn.

"Hello, my name is Lan. Nice to meet you."

CULTURAL INSIGHT
Vietnamese Names
A Vietnamese name usually consists of three parts: the family name comes first, then the
middle name and the first name comes at the end. Vietnamese people often use first names
to introduce themselves or address each other in both formal and informal situations. It's easy
to see that in the dialogue, the first person introduces her name as An, which is her first name.
Even though it is the first time they've met, it's common to use first names. To make it more
formal, a pronoun or a title will be put first, followed by the full name. For example, Anh
Nguyn Vn Nam (Mr Nguyen Van Nam) or Gim c Nguyn Vn Nam (Director Nguyen
Van Nam). Depending on that person's gender, age, the pronoun will be different.
Vietnamese people don't use family names to address each other like in Western culture.