LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #1 Introducing Yourself in Vietnamese
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 4 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 6 Cultural Insight
# 1
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. An: Xin chào, tôi tên là An.
2. Mary: Xin chào, tôi tên là Mary.
3. An: R t vui ⇥⇤⌅c g⇧p b⌃n.
4. Mary: Tôi c⌥ng v y.
5. An: T⌃m bi t
6. Mary: T⌃m bi t. H⌦n g⇧p l⌃i.
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 English Class
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #1 - INTRODUCING YOURS ELF IN VIETNAMESE 2 xin chào hello
tôi "I", "me" pronoun
tên "name" noun
là "to be" verb
"you" - person with the same b⌃n age with the 1st speaker pronoun
vui funny adjective
g⇧p "to meet" verb
Tôi c⌥ng v y. "Me too." expression
T⌃m bi t Goodbye, Bye noun
H⌦n g⇧p l⌃i See you again phrase
R t vui ⇥⇤⌅c g⇧p b⌃n. "Nice to meet you." expression
SAMPLE SENTENCES
M i ng⇥⇤i nói "Xin chào" Tôi là Lan.
The people say, "Hello." "I am Lan."
Tôi không nh⌅ tên b⇧n. Anh ta nói anh ta tên là Nam.
"I can’t remember your name." "He said his name is Nam."
Tôi không bi⌃t tên cô ⌥y. Chúng tôi là khách du l ch.
"I don't know her name." "We are tourists."
⌦ tôi gi⌅i thi↵u b⇧n v⌅i m t ng⇥⇤i b⇧n Tôi tên là Mary, còn b⇧n thì sao?
c a tôi "My name is Mary; and yours?" "Let me introduce you to my friend."
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #1 - INTRODUCING YOURS ELF IN VIETNAMESE 3 Chào b⇧n. B⇧n có kh e không? Ng⇥⇤i ✏àn ông vui tính ✏ang nh⇣y mà
không m⌘c qu✓n. "Hello. How are you?" "The funny man is dancing without pants."
Chúng ta g⌘p nhau vào tu✓n sau ✏⇥◆c R⌥t vui ✏⇥◆c g⌘p b⇧n! không? "Nice to meet you!" "Can we meet next week-end."
A: Tôi r⌥t thích nh⇧c pop. / B: Tôi cng T⇧m bi↵t. i c n th n nhé ! v y "Goodbye. Take care." A: "I like pop music./ B: Me too"
H⌫n g⌘p l⇧i sau nhé!
"See you later!"
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
Tôi 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.
B n means "you." This is the general pronoun referring to the person directly talking with you at the moment of speaking. Like the pronoun tôi, b n is just the general equivalent of "you." Depending on gender, age and relationship, this equivalent also varies in different situations.
R⇥t vui ⇤⌅⇧c g⌃p b n literally means "I'm very happy to meet you" and can be understood as "Nice to meet you" in English. Vietnamese people also say R⇥t vui ⇤⌅⇧c làm quen v⌃i b n 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 chào, tôi tên là An.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #1 - INTRODUCING YOURS ELF IN VIETNAMESE 4 R⇥t vui ⇤⌅⇧c g⌃p b n. "Hello. My name is An." "Nice to meet you."
Xin chào" 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 chào to you, simply reply with the same greeting. Xin chào.
After saying hello, introduce your name by saying tôi tên là + your name.
Tôi means "I." Tên means "name" and là 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 R⇥t vui ⇤⌅⇧c g⌥p b n. - "Nice to meet you." When someone says to you R⇥t vui ⇤⌅⇧c g⌥p b n, simply reply with Tôi c ng v y, which means "Me too."
For example:
1. Xin chào, tôi tên là Jenny. R⇥t vui ⇤⌅⇧c g⌥p b n. "Hello, my name is Jenny. Nice to meet you."
Examples from this dialogue:
An: Xin chào, tôi tên là An. Mary: Xin chào, tôi tên là Mary. An: R⇥t vui ⇤⌅⇧c g⌥p b n. Mary: Tôi c ng v y.
An: "Hello, my name is An." Mary: "Hello, my name is Mary." An: "Nice to meet you." Mary: "Me too."
Sample Sentences
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #1 - INTRODUCING YOURS ELF IN VIETNAMESE 5 1. Xin chào, tôi tên là Lan. R⇥t vui ⇤⌅⇧c g⌥p b n. "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 Nguy↵n V n Nam (Mr Nguyen Van Nam) or Giám ⇥ c Nguy↵n V n 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.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #1 - INTRODUCING YOURS ELF IN VIETNAMESE 6 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #2 Asking Someone's Name in Vietnamese
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 3 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 4 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 6 Cultural Insight
# 2
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. (When asking in general)
2. Lan: B n tên là gì?
3. Mary: Tôi tên là Mary. (When asking a slightly older woman, or a young woman in formal situations)
4. Mary: Ch⇥ tên là gì?
5. Lan: Tôi tên là Lan. (When asking a slightly older man, or a young man in formal situations.)
6. Lan: Anh tên là gì?
7. Nam: Tôi tên là Nam.
ENGLISH
1. (When asking in general)
2. Lan: What's your name?
3. Mary: My name is Mary. (When asking a slightly older woman, or a young woman in formal situations)
4. Mary: What's your name?
CONT'D OVER
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #2 - AS KING S OMEONE'S NAME IN VIETNAMESE 2 5. Lan: My name is Lan (When asking a slightly older man, or a young man in formal situations.)
6. Lan: What's your name?
7. Nam: My name is Nam.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
"you" - person with the same b n age with the 1st speaker pronoun
tôi "I", "me" pronoun
tên "name" noun
là "to be" verb
"Mister"; "you" (to an elder anh man or in formal situation) noun; pronoun
gì "what" question word, pronoun
"Miss"; "you" ( to an elder ch⇥ woman or in formal situation) noun; pronoun
SAMPLE SENTENCES
⇥ tôi gi⇤i thi⌅u b⇧n v⇤i m⌃t ng⌥ i b⇧n Tôi tên là Mary, còn b⇧n thì sao?
c a tôi "My name is Mary; and yours?" "Let me introduce you to my friend."
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #2 - AS KING S OMEONE'S NAME IN VIETNAMESE 3 Chào b⇧n. B⇧n có kh⌦e không? Tôi là Lan.
"Hello. How are you?" "I am Lan."
Tôi không nh⇤ tên b⇧n. Anh ta nói anh ta tên là Nam.
"I can’t remember your name." "He said his name is Nam."
Tôi không bi↵t tên cô y. Chúng tôi là khách du l ch.
"I don't know her name." "We are tourists."
Xin m i anh ng i xu✏ng. ây là cái gì?
"Please sit down, Mister." "What is this?"
B⇧n ⇣ang n u món gì v⌘y? Không có gì.
"What are you cooking?" "You're welcome." (lit."It's not at all.")
Ch y th⌘t xinh ⇣✓p.
"She is so beautiful."
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
Anh is one of the most common pronouns in Vietnamese. It is a second singular personal pronoun. The word itself means "older brother." But when it is used as a pronoun, it refers to a slightly older man or a young man you meet in formal situation. In that case, using anh instead of b n - the general equivalent of "you" we learned in the first lesson, is more appropriate.
Ch is also one of the most common pronouns in Vietnamese. It is a second singular personal pronoun. The word itself means "older sister." But when it is used as a pronoun, it refers to a slightly older woman or a young woman you meet in formal situation. In that case, using ch⇥ instead of b n - the general equivalent of "you" we learned in the first lesson, is more appropriate.
GRAMMAR
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #2 - AS KING S OMEONE'S NAME IN VIETNAMESE 4 The Focus of this Lesson is the Question "What's your name?" B⇥n tên là gì? "What's your name"
The literal translation of this question is "You name is what?" and it can be translated as "What are you named?" So the pronoun b n, which means "you" comes first, followed by tên which means "name," then the verb "to be," which is là and finally the question word gì, meaning "what." To answer this question, say Tôi tên là + your name, which we learned already in lesson 1.
B n tên là gì? is the general translation of "what's your name?" and can be used in most situations. But the pronoun b n usually refers to a person around your age. When talking with someone older than you or someone in formal situations (as in business), b n is not appropriate. In such cases, replace b n with anh when the other person is a young man and replace b n with ch⇥ when the other person is a young woman. The rest of the question remains unchanged.
The answer to the new questions stays the same too. Say tôi tên là + your name.
For example:
1. B n kh⇤e không? (To ask a person around your age) "How are you?"
2. Anh kh⇤e không? (To ask a slightly older man or a young man in formal situations) "How are you?"
Sample Sentences
1. Q: B n tên là gì? A: Tôi tên là Mary.
2. Q: Ch⇥ tên là gì? A: Tôi tên là Lan.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #2 - AS KING S OMEONE'S NAME IN VIETNAMESE 5 3. Q: Anh tên là gì? A: Tôi tên là Nam.
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Pronouns in Vietnamese
The Vietnamese language has a complicated system of pronouns. Which one to use depends greatly on gender, age and the intimacy of the relationship. For example, there are different pronouns that mean "I," and you change the way you call yourself depending on who you are talking to. Therefore, at the first meeting, to make it comfortable for both speakers, it is recommended that you politely ask the other person how you should address him or her.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #2 - AS KING S OMEONE'S NAME IN VIETNAMESE 6 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #3 Talking About Nationality in Vietnamese
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 3 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 5 Cultural Insight
# 3
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1. Mai: B n ⇥⇤n t⌅ ⇥âu?
2. Mary: Tôi ⇥⇤n t⌅ n⇧⌃c Anh.
3. Mai: B n là ng⇧⌥i n⇧⌃c nào?
4. Suri: Tôi là ng⇧⌥i M .
ENGLISH
1. Mai: Where are you from?
2. Mary: I'm from England.
3. Mai: What nationality are you?
4. Suri: I'm American.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
⇥⇤n "to come" verb
t⌅ "from" preposition
⇥âu "where" adverb, pronoun
N⇧⌃c country noun
ng⇧⌥i "person", "people", "human" noun
Nào which, what interrogative pronoun
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #3 - TALKING ABOUT NATIONALITY IN VIETNAMESE 2 Anh "England" noun
M "the U.S." noun
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Tôi ⇥n t⇤ M⌅. Bây gi⇧ ⇥n l⌃⌥t tôi.
"I'm from the U.S." "Now it's my turn."
B n t⇤ âu ⇥n? B n t⇤ âu ⇥n?
"Where are you from?" "Where are you from?"
N⌃ c Nh⌦t có n↵n v n hóa c s c. T✏t c⇣ m⌘i ng⌃⇧i ↵u vui v✓.
"Japan has an interesting culture." "Everybody is happy."
◆ Vit Nam ng⌃⇧i ta th⌃⇧ng mua rau Nhi↵u ng⌃⇧i ang x⇥p hàng mua vé.
ch⌥. "Many people are queuing for tickets." "In Vietnam, people often buy vegetable at the market."
Hàng tr m ng⌃⇧i ang x⇥p hàng mua vé. Có nhi↵u ng⌃⇧i trong phòng.
"Hundreds of people are queuing for "There are many people in the room." tickets."
Tôi ⇥n t⇤ Anh. Tôi ⇥n t⇤ M⌅.
"I'm from England." "I'm from the U.S."
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
⇥n means "to come" or "to arrive" But in many cases it also means "to go" or just "to." There is a difference between "to come" and "to go" in Vietnamese as in English, but sometimes
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #3 - TALKING ABOUT NATIONALITY IN VIETNAMESE 3 they can be used interchangeably. For example, ⇥n tr⇤⌅ng means both "to go to school" and "to come to school" no matter what the location of the speaker is.
âu is a question word used to ask the location of a person or a thing. In most cases, it is used with the preposition ⇧ to make the phrase ⇧ âu and is often put at the end of a sentence. For example you can say Sách c⌃a tôi âu? or Sách c⌃a tôi ⇧ âu? which means "Where's my book?" In most cases ⇧ âu sounds more formal.
GRAMMAR
The Focus of this Lesson is How to to Ask About One's Nationality B⇤n ⌅⇥n t⇧ ⌅âu? "Where are you from?"
The question B⌥n ⇥n t âu is the exact translation of "Where are you from?" but Vietnamese people tend to ask B⌥n là ng⇤⌅i n⇤ c nào?, which literally means "You are the person of which country?" This can be understood as "What nationality are you?" The pronoun b⌥n meaning "you" comes first, followed by the verb "to be" là, then the noun ng⇤⌅i which means "person." Next comes the noun n⇤ c which means "country" then finally the question word nào meaning "which." To answer this question, say Tôi là ng⇤⌅i + n⇤ c + your country's name in Vietnamese.
Examples:
1. Tôi ⇥n t n⇤ c Nh⌦t. "I come from Japan"
2. Tôi là ng⇤⌅i Nh⌦t. "I'm Japanese"
Examples from this lesson:
1. B⌥n ⇥n t âu?
2. - Tôi ⇥n t n⇤ c Anh.
3. B⌥n là ng⇤⌅i n⇤ c nào?
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #3 - TALKING ABOUT NATIONALITY IN VIETNAMESE 4 4. - Tôi là ng⇤⌅i M↵
Examples from this dialogue:
1. B⌥n ⇥n t âu? Tôi ⇥n t n⇤ c Anh. "Where are you from? - I'm from England."
2. B⌥n là ng⇤⌅i n⇤ c nào? Tôi là ng⇤⌅i M↵. "What nationality are you? - I'm American."
Sample Sentences
1. Tôi ⇥n t Hàn Qu c. "I'm from Korea."
2. Tôi là ng⇤⌅i Hàn Qu c. "I'm Korean."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Vietnamese Attitudes towards Foreigners
Vietnamese people are very hospitable and open to foreigners. It's very common to see a Vietnamese person trying to speak a few English words to a foreigner whom he/she meets on the street. Although Vietnamese people do not speak English, they are not reluctant to help foreigners who come to Vietnam. If you come to Vietnam and need help, don't hesitate to ask anyone you meet. If he or she can't understand you, they will find another person who can come to help you.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #3 - TALKING ABOUT NATIONALITY IN VIETNAMESE 5 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #4 Talking About Ages in Vietnamese
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 3 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 5 Cultural Insight
# 4
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1. Lan: B n bao nhiêu tu⇥i?
2. Mary: Tôi hai m⇤⌅i tu⇥i. Còn b n?
3. Lan: Tôi hai m⇤⌅i ba tu⇥i.
4. Mary: B n sinh n⇧m nào?
5. Lan: Tôi sinh n⇧m tám chín.
6. Mary: ⌃, v⌥y h⌅n tu⇥i tôi r i. Tôi ph i g⌦i b n là "ch↵" nh ?
7. Lan: úng r i.
ENGLISH
1. Lan: How old are you?
2. Mary: I'm twenty. And you?
3. Lan: I'm twenty-three.
4. Mary: What year were you born?
5. Lan: I was born in '89 (or 1989.)
6. Mary: Oh, so you're older than me. I need to call you "older sister," right?
7. Lan: That's right.
VOCABULARY
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #4 - TALKING ABOUT AGES IN VIETNAMESE 2 Vietnamese English Class
nh right? sentence-ending particle
úng right, correct adjective
V⌥y so conjunction
tu⇥i "age", "years old" noun
h⌅n "more than", "better" adverb; adjective
ph i must verb
g⌦i "to call" verb
"Miss"; "you" ( to an elder ch↵ woman or in formal situation) noun; pronoun
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Hôm nay l nh nh⇥. B n ⇤ã ch⌅n ⇤úng công vi⇧c.
"Today is cold, isn’t it?" "You have chosen the right job."
V⌃y h⌥n g p l i sau nhé! C⌃u bé này 7 (b y) tu⌦i.
"So, see you later!" "This boy is seven years old."
Hôm nay tôi ⇤i b↵ nhi u h n hôm qua. Tôi ph i d⌃y s m ⇤i h⌅c.
"Today I walked more than yesterday." "I must get up early to go to school."
N✏u c⇣n hãy g⌅i tôi. Ch⌘ ✓y th⌃t xinh ⇤⌥p.
"Call me if it's necessary." "She is so beautiful."
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
H n means "more" and it is usually added after an adjective or adverb to make the
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #4 - TALKING ABOUT AGES IN VIETNAMESE 3 comparative form. But when saying that someone is older, we don't usually add this word to the adjective già which means "old." Instead, we say h n tu⇥i which literally means "more years." This way of saying is more polite and more commonly used. ph⇥i is a modal verb, added before a main verb to express necessity or obligation. This is exactly the same as "must" in English. nh⇤ is a sentence ending particle. It is added at the end of a sentence to confirm an agreement with what the speaker is saying. It is similar to a tag question in English. For example: Tranh này ⇤⌅p nh⇧? means "This painting is beautiful, isn't it?"
GRAMMAR
The Focus of this Lesson is Asking about Ages B⌅n bao nhiêu tu⇧i? "How old are you?"
The question starts with a pronoun indicating the other person. Here we use the general equivalent of "you," which is b⌃n. Then add the phrase bao nhiêu tu⇥i which literally means "how many years-old?" but here it means "how old."
To answer this question, simply say: Tôi + (number of your age) + tu⇥i Vietnamese people often use the lunar calendar to calculate their ages, so some people tend to tell their lunar age when being asked, which is one year older than their real age. Therefore, besides asking how old a person is, Vietnamese people also ask in which year he/ she was born to know the exact age. The question, in that case, is:
1. B⌃n sinh n⌥m nào? "In which year were you born?"
To answer this question, say: Tôi sinh n⌥m + the last two numbers of the year you were born.
For example:
1. Q: B⌃n sinh n⌥m nào? A: Tôi sinh n⌥m tám ba. Q: "In which year were you born?" A: "I was born in 1983." (Literally, I was born 83)
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #4 - TALKING ABOUT AGES IN VIETNAMESE 4 Examples from this dialogue:
1. Q: B⌃n bao nhiêu tu⇥i? A: Tôi hai m i tu⇥i. Q: "How old are you?" A: "I'm twenty."
Sample Sentences
1. Tôi ba m i hai tu⇥i. "I'm thirty-two."
2. Tôi sinh n⌥m b y t (74). "I was born in 1974."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
It's Essential to Ask About Age in Vietnam!
It's not uncommon for Vietnamese people to ask about each other's age right at their first meeting. They are actually not being nosy. In fact, it is because of the complicated system of pronouns. In order to choose the right pronoun to call yourself and address the other person properly, age is a main indicator. There is no general equivalents of "I" and "you" that can be applied in all situations. Therefore, don't get uncomfortable if a Vietnamese person asks how old you are when you first meet. You can feel free to ask him/her as well.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #4 - TALKING ABOUT AGES IN VIETNAMESE 5 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #5 Saying Thanks in Vietnamese
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 3 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 5 Cultural Insight
# 5
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. Waiter: Cà phê c a ch⇥ ⇤ây.
2. An: C⌅m ⇧n.
3. Waiter: Không có gì.
4. (At the cashier)
5. Waiter: C a ch⇥ 15 nghìn.
6. An: G⌃i anh.
7. Waiter: Xin c⌅m ⇧n.
ENGLISH
1. Waiter: Here's your coffee.
2. An: Thank you.
3. Waiter: You're welcome.
4. (At the cashier)
5. Waiter: 15,000 VND please.
6. An: Here you are.
7. Waiter: Thank you.
VOCABULARY
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #5 - S AYING THANKS IN VIETNAMESE 2 Vietnamese English Class
Không có gì You’re welcome phrase
Nghìn thousand, thousand dong numeral
Here you are (formal - when G⌃i anh addressing a man) phrase
Xin c⌅m ⇧n Thank you (formal) phrase
cà phê coffee noun
C a of preposition
⇤ây "here" pronoun
cám ⇧n "thank you" phrase
SAMPLE SENTENCES
C m ⇥n ⇤ã giúp ⇤⌅. - Không có gì. Quy⇧n sách này giá 20 nghìn.
"Thank you for your help - You’re welcome" "This book costs 20 thousand dong."
Ng⌃⌥i nhân viên v n phòng u ng cà phê ↵ây là sách c a tôi.
trong lúc ngh⌦ gi i lao. "This is my book." "The office worker drinks coffee while taking a break."
⇤ây không ⇤⌃ c hút thu c. Nhà tôi cách ⇤ây 1 km.
"No smoking allowed here." "My house is 1 km from here."
M⌥i b✏n ng⇣i xu ng ⇤ây. Cám ⇥n vì món quà c a b✏n.
"Please sit here." "Thank you for your gift."
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #5 - S AYING THANKS IN VIETNAMESE 3 C a is the preposition showing possession. A phrase showing possession is composed of a main noun followed by c a and a noun or pronoun referring to the person who owns main noun. For example, sách c a tôi, which is literally "book of me," means "my book."
G⇥i anh is a polite phrase to use when you give someone something. It can be translated as "let me give you" and can be used alone or followed by the thing you want to give. The pronoun anh, as we learned, is used when speaking to a man, so depending on the person you are talking with, you use g⇥i, plus a pronoun referring to the other person, plus a thing (optional). For example: g⇥i ch⇤ hóa ⌅⇧n is "here is your receipt" (to a woman).
GRAMMAR
The Focus of This Lesson Is How To Say Thank You in Vietnamese C⇤m ⌅n "Thank you"
C⌃m means "to appreciate," and ⇧n means "favor" or "help." It can be understood as "I appreciate your favor or your help." When someone says "c⌃m ⇧n" to you, reply with Không có gì, which literally means "not at all" but can be understood as "you're welcome"
To make it more formal, you say Xin c⌃m ⇧n. Xin means "please," but in this case, the whole phrase (xin c⌃m ⇧n) can be translated as "Let me give my thanks." The reply to this phrase is also Không có gì.
In daily conversation, Vietnamese people are more likely to say cám ⇧n than c⌃m ⇧n. The first word, cám, has a rising tone. The only reason for this is that is cám ⇧n is easier to pronounce than c⌃m ⇧n, but c⌃m ⇧n is grammatically and semantically more correct and can be used in official written texts as well. Cám ⇧n, on the other hand, is only used in spoken Vietnamese. To be more polite, you can also say Xin cám ⇧n.
For Example:
1. C⌃m ⇧n/Cám ⇧n b⌥n ⌅ã giúp ⌅ . "Thank you for your help."
2. Xin c⌃m ⇧n/Xin cám ⇧n ch⇤ ⌅ã giúp ⌅ (formal) "Thank you for your help."
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #5 - S AYING THANKS IN VIETNAMESE 4 Examples from this dialogue:
1. Cà phê c a b⌥n ⌅ây! - C⌃m ⇧n. "Here's your coffee." - "Thank you!"
2. G⇥i anh! - Xin c⌃m ⇧n "Here you are." - "Thank you!"
Sample Sentences
1. - C⌃m ⇧n vì món quà! - Không có gì! "Thank you for your gift." "You're welcome."
2. - Xin c⌃m ⇧n ⌅ã ⌅ón ti p. - Không có gì. "Thank you for your welcome." "Not at all."
Language Tip
If you want to say "thank you very much," add the phrase r⌦t nhi↵u, which means "very much," to the phrase c⌃m ⇧n. The whole phrase, then, will be C⌃m ⇧n r⌦t nhi↵u. To make it more formal, you can say Xin c⌃m ⇧n r⌦t nhi↵u.
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Vietnamese Cafes
Nowadays, it's very easy to find a cafeteria with free Wi-Fi anywhere in Vietnam. Vietnamese people go to cafeterias for fun with friends, for a place to work independently, or even for business. Cafeterias are most crowded during lunchtime and after-office hours. These places
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #5 - S AYING THANKS IN VIETNAMESE 5 are becoming more popular because people can find a place to eat, drink, and use free Internet at the same time with reasonable prices.
Vietnamese coffee has a special taste, which is popular among foreigners. Particularly, the milk coffee is made by mixing condensed milk rather than fresh milk with coffee, so it's a favorite drink of those who like sweetness. In Vietnamese, the coffee is Nâu s a or Cà phê s a.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #5 - S AYING THANKS IN VIETNAMESE 6 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #6 Saying Sorry in Vietnamese
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 3 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 5 Cultural Insight
# 6
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. An: (Knocks on the door) Xin l i ...
2. Boss: M⇥i vào!
3. An: Xin l i tôi ⇤⌅n mu⇧n.
4. Boss: Không sao, m⇥i cô ng⌃i.
5. An: C⌥m n
ENGLISH
1. An: (Knocks on the door) Excuse me!
2. Boss: Come in, please.
3. An: I'm sorry I'm late.
4. Boss: No problem. Please sit down, miss.
5. An: Thank you.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
Cô Miss/Young lady pronoun
Xin l i. "Excuse me." or "I’m sorry." expression
M⇥i please verb
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #6 - S AYING S ORRY IN VIETNAMESE 2 Vào Come in verb
⇤⌅n "to come" verb
Mu⇧n late adjective
Không sao. "Don't worry."/ "Never mind." expression
ng⌃i sit
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Cô tên là gì? Xin h i, m⇥y gi⇤ r⌅i?
"What’s your name?" "Excuse me, what time is it now?"
M⇤i anh u⇧ng n⌃⌥c. Tôi v a vào nhà thì tr⇤i m⌃a.
"Please have a drink." "I had just come into the house when it rained."
Tôi ⌦n t M↵. Bây gi⇤ ⌦n l⌃ t tôi.
"I'm from the U.S." "Now it's my turn."
Sáng nay tôi ã i làm mu n. Xin l i, tôi làm v✏ cái c⇧c c⇣a b⌘n r⌅i. /
Không sao. "I was late for work this morning." "I'm sorry, I broke your cup already." / "Never Mind."
Ng⌃⇤i l⌃⌥t sóng ng⌅i trên hàng rào.
The surfer sits on the fence.
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
M i is the short form of the phrase Xin m i, which means "please." It is added before a main
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #6 - S AYING S ORRY IN VIETNAMESE 3 verb to make a polite request, but it can only be used with certain verbs. The word m i itself means "to invite," so, literally, the request implied here is more like an invitation to someone to do something.
Cô is a common pronoun in Vietnamese. The pronoun itself means "aunt," so it refers to a woman who is about 15 or 20 years older than you. However, it is also used to refer to a young lady in a very formal situation. In this case, it is much more formal than the pronoun ch⇥ we learned in the previous lesson.
GRAMMAR
The Focus of This Lesson Is How To Say Sorry in Vietnamese. Xin l⇥i. "Excuse me./I'm sorry."
In Vietnamese, xin l⇤i is the equivalent of both "excuse me" and "I'm sorry." When it means "excuse me," it is usually placed at the beginning of a sentence, followed by a question or a polite request. When you really want to apologize to someone for doing something, simply say xin l⇤i ("sorry") or tôi xin l⇤i ("I'm sorry"). When someone says sorry to you, reply with Không sao, which means "No problem."
When you want to catch the attention of others to ask a question, xin h⌅i, which means "let me ask," is used more commonly than xin l⇤i. In brief, when you want to ask a question, use xin h⌅i, followed by the question. When you want to make a polite request or catch someone's attention in other situations, use xin l⇤i.
For Example:
1. Xin l⇤i, cho tôi m⇧⌃n cái bút. "Excuse me, may I borrow your pen?"
2. Xin l⇤i tôi quên tài li⌥u. "Sorry, I forgot the documents."
Examples from this dialogue:
1. 1. Xin l⇤i (Knock the door). "Excuse me!" (Implied: "May I come in?")
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #6 - S AYING S ORRY IN VIETNAMESE 4 2. 2. Xin l⇤i tôi n mu⌦n. "I'm sorry I'm late."
Sample Sentences
1. 1. Xin l⇤i, cho tôi hai bát ph↵ "Excuse me, two bowls of Pho, please."
2. 2. Tôi xin l⇤i vì ã n h p mu⌦n. "I'm sorry for being late to the meeting."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Work Hours in Vietnam
Schools in Vietnam start early in the morning, and almost all kids from 4 to 14 years old are sent to school by their parents. So, in order to make things easy for workers and staff, offices often start at 8 am and finish at 5 pm. In some companies, to avoid rush hour or school hour, the office hours are from 9 am to 6 pm. Rush hour is from 7 am to 9 am in the morning and from 5 pm to 7 pm in the evening. Normally, Vietnamese have a habit of taking a nap at noon, so the break time for lunch is from 1 to 1.5 hours. The majority of Vietnamese people use motorbikes rather than public transportation, so they are likely to be stuck in heavy traffic. In particular, since married women tend to take their children to school before they go to work, they are more likely to be late. Therefore, traffic jams are the reason most commonly used by Vietnamese people for being late.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #6 - S AYING S ORRY IN VIETNAMESE 5 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #7 Which Vietnamese Company Do You Work For?
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 3 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 6 Cultural Insight
# 7
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. Mai: Ch làm ngh⇥ gì?
2. Susan: Tôi làm giáo viên, Còn ch ?
3. Mai: Tôi làm v⇥ ngành marketing.
4. Susan: Ch làm ⇤ công ty nào v⌅y?
5. Mai: Công ty Sony.
ENGLISH
1. Mai: What do you do?
2. Susan: I’m a teacher. And you?
3. Mai: I’m in marketing.
4. Susan: What company are you working for?
5. Mai: Sony.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
làm "to do" verb
ngh⇥ "job" noun
giáo viên "teacher" noun
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #7 - WHICH VIETNAMESE COMPANY DO YOU WORK FOR? 2 v⇥ about adverb
ngành industry noun
⇤ "at", "in" preposition
công ty company noun
Nào which, what interrogative pronoun
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Ng ⇥i ph⇤ n⌅ làm công vi⇧c nhà. B⌃n làm ngh⌥ gì?
"The woman does housework." "What do you do?"
Bà y ã làm nhà v⌦n t↵ do trong nhi⌥u B⌃n làm ngh⌥ gì?
n⌦m. "What do you do?" "She worked as a freelance writer for many years."
Giáo viên d⌃y l p h c. Tôi là giáo viên.
The teacher teaches the class. "I'm a teacher."
Quy n sách này v⌥ công ngh⇧ thông tin. Tôi làm v⌥ ngành máy móc.
"This book is about information "I’m in mechanics." technology."
Tem có th mua ✏ b u i⇧n. Tôi s⇣ng ✏ Hà N⌘i.
"Stamps can be bought at the post office." "I live in Hanoi."
Anh tôi làm cho m⌘t công ty Nh✓t.
"My brother works for a Japanese company."
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #7 - WHICH VIETNAMESE COMPANY DO YOU WORK FOR? 3 Làm is a verb meaning "to do" or "to make." But this verb can be used in many different contexts. In this lesson, we learn one of its meanings, which can be translated as "to work as." When talking about someone's job, start with the subject, followed by the verb làm. The noun indicating the job comes last.
Ngh means "a job" and ngành means "an industry," but they are usually combined to make the compoun noun ngành ngh , which means a profession or career in general.
GRAMMAR
The Focus of This Lesson Is Talking About Jobs B⇥n làm ngh gì? "What's your job?/What do you do"
The question is literally translated as "you do job what," but it can be understood as "What do you do?" in English. It starts with the pronoun b⇥n, meaning "you," followed by the verb làm, which means "to do" or "to work." The next word, ngh , means "job," and the question word gì, meaning "what," comes at the end.
There are three ways to answer this question:
1. Tôi làm + name of the job: "I work as/I do" + job
2. Tôi là + name of the job: "I am" + job
3. Tôi làm v + industry: "I work in/I'm in" + industry
For example:
1. Tôi làm giáo viên. "I work as a teacher."
2. Tôi là giáo viên. "I am a teacher."
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #7 - WHICH VIETNAMESE COMPANY DO YOU WORK FOR? 4 3. Tôi làm v giáo d⇤c. "I'm in education."
Examples from this dialogue:
1. Tôi làm/ là giáo viên. "I'm a teacher."
2. Tôi làm v marketing. "I'm in marketing."
Sample Sentences
1. Tôi là nhà báo. "I'm a journalist."
2. Tôi làm nhân viên v⌅n phòng. "I work as an office staff."
3. Tôi làm v qu⇧ng cáo. "I work in advertising."
Language Expansion
More vocabulary about jobs in Vietnamese:
1. sinh viên ("student")
2. k⌃ s⌥ ("engineer")
3. công nhân ("worker")
4. ca s ("singer")
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #7 - WHICH VIETNAMESE COMPANY DO YOU WORK FOR? 5 5. nam di n viên/ n⌦ di n viên ("actor/actress")
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Popular Jobs in Vietnam
In Vietnam, students are more likely to enter business schools because business-related jobs are believed to be "hot" and to result in high earnings. The top business-related jobs in Vietnam are in auditing, banking, business administration, and sales. Besides business, information technology is another hot industry. Students with IT majors can find good jobs more easily than others. Therefore, business and IT universities often set high requirements for entry, and high school students are more likely to choose universities based on hot industries rather than their own capabilities and desires.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #7 - WHICH VIETNAMESE COMPANY DO YOU WORK FOR? 6 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #8 Losing Track of the Days in Vietnam
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 3 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 4 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 6 Cultural Insight
# 8
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. An: Hôm nay là th m⇥y?
2. Mai: Th t⇤.
3. An: Th m⇥y có bài ki⌅m tra toán?
4. Mai: Ngày mai, th n⇧m.
5. An: Ngày kia có ti⌃t v⇧n ⌥úng không?
6. Mai: .
7. An: Th m⇥y ⌥⇤ c ngh⌦ ?
8. Mai: Th b↵y và ch nh t.
ENGLISH
1. An: What day is today?
2. Mai: Wednesday.
3. An: On what day is there a math test?
4. Mai: Tomorrow, Thursday.
5. An: There's a literature class the day after tomorrow, right?
6. Mai: Yes.
CONT'D OVER
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #8 - LOSING TRACK OF THE DAYS IN VIETNAM 2 7. An: When are the days off? (Literally, what days are the days off?)
8. Mai: Saturday and Sunday.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
ngày kia the day after tomorrow noun
ti⌃t class, period noun
to take a break, to have a ngh⌦ day off verb
hôm nay today noun
ngày mai "tomorrow" noun
th day, order noun
"how many", "how much" -
m⇥y (an alternative to "bao interrogative nhiêu")
bài ki⌅m tra test, exam noun
toán math noun
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Ngày kia là ngày bao nhiêu? Hôm nay có ti t th⇥ d⇤c.
"What date is the day after tomorrow?" "There’s a gymnastics class today."
Mai có ⌅⇧⌃c ngh⌥ không? Hôm nay tôi ⌅i b nhi u h⌦n hôm qua.
"Will tomorrow be a day off?" "Today I walked more than yesterday."
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #8 - LOSING TRACK OF THE DAYS IN VIETNAM 3 Ngày mai tôi s↵ ⌅i à N ng. ây là l n th✏ hai tôi ⌅i mu n trong tu n.
"Tomorrow I will go to Da Nang." "This is the second time I was late in a week."
M⇣i ngày b⌘n ✓n c⌦m m◆y ba? Bài ki⇥m tra hôm nay r◆t khó.
"How many meals do you have in a day?" "Today’s test was very difficult."
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
Th originally refers to order or ranking, like "first," "second," etc. Since Vietnamese people think the days of the week also come in order, th in this case is understood as "day."
M⇥y originally means "how many" and is used to ask about a small number of things or people. But when it comes with th to make the phrase th m⇥y, it means "what day" or "which day."
Ngh⇤ is originally a verb that means "to be off work/school." To refer to a holiday, Vietnamese people say ⇤⌅⇧c ngh⌃, which literally means "to be given a day off" and comes in a passive voice. The exact translation of "holiday" is ngày ngh⌃.
GRAMMAR
The Focus of This Lesson Is How To Ask About Days Hôm nay là th m⇥y? "What day is today?"
The question starts with hôm nay, which means "today." The next word, là, is the verb "to be." Finally comes th m⇥y, which means "what day" or "which day." Literally, the question can be translated as "today is what day?" So, if you want to use another day rather than "today" (for example, "tomorrow" or "the day after tomorrow"), simply change the subject by substituting it
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #8 - LOSING TRACK OF THE DAYS IN VIETNAM 4 with hôm nay. The rest, là th m⇥y, remains unchanged.
To answer this question, say Hôm nay là plus the day of the week in Vietnamese, or simply answer by saying the day of the week in Vietnamese without any subject.
Monday: Th hai
Tuesday: Th ba
Wednesday: Th t⌅
Thursday: Th n⌥m
Friday: Th sáu
Saturday: Th b y
Sunday: Ch nh⌦t
For Example:
1. Hôm nay là th ba. "Today is Tuesday."
2. Ngày mai là th t⌅. "Tomorrow is Wednesday."
Examples from this dialogue:
1. Hôm nay là th m⇥y? - Th n⌥m. "What day is today? - "Thursday."
2. Ngày mai là th m⇥y? - Th sáu. "What day is tomorrow?" - "Friday."
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #8 - LOSING TRACK OF THE DAYS IN VIETNAM 5 Sample Sentences
1. Hôm nay là th ba "Today is Tuesday."
2. Ngày mai là ch nh⌦t. "Tomorrow is Sunday."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
The Vietnamese Work Week
In Vietnam, only Sunday is considered an official holiday of the week, but in many companies, the staff has a day off on Saturday. Primary, junior, and high school students also have to go to school on Saturday, and only university students are free from school on both Saturday and Sunday. Most Vietnamese people like Friday, especially Friday evening, because they have a holiday ahead after a long week of hard work or study. On the other hand, Monday seems to be the least welcomed day of the week. It is common to see Vietnamese people update their statuses to describe their moods on Monday and Friday on popular social networking sites like Facebook.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #8 - LOSING TRACK OF THE DAYS IN VIETNAM 6 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #9 What Time Is It In Vietnam?
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 3 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 4 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 6 Cultural Insight
# 9
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. Hà: M y gi⇥ tàu ch⇤y?
2. Trang: Ba gi⇥ m⌅⇥i l⇧m.
3. Hà: Bây gi⇥ là m y gi⇥?
4. Trang: Ba gi⇥ r⌃i.
5. Hà: Chuy⌥n tàu cu i cùng vào lúc m y gi⇥ ?
6. Trang: B n gi⇥ kém n⇧m
7. Hà: V y à? Nhanh lên thôi!
8. Trang: ⌦ ↵i thôi.
ENGLISH
1. Hà: What time does the train leave?
2. Trang: 3.15.
3. Hà: What time is it now?
4. Trang: It's three already.
5. Hà: When is the last train?
6. Trang: Five to four.
CONT'D OVER
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #9 - WHAT TIME IS IT IN VIETNAM? 2 7. Hà: Oh really? Hurry up!
8. Trang: Okay, let's go.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
lên tàu to get on the train verb
⌦ yes (informal) particle
a particle used for thôi suggestions sentence-ending particle
“to”, when talking about time; kém “less” adjective
gi⇥ time, hour noun
tàu train noun
ch⇤y run verb
bây gi⇥ "now" adverb
r⌃i "already" adverb
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Lên tàu thôi không mu n m⇥t. ⇤n c⌅m thôi!
"Let’s get on the train otherwise we’ll be "Let’s eat!" late."
Bây gi⇧ là b⌃y gi⇧ kém hai m⌥⌅i. M⇥y gi⇧ vào l p?
"It is twenty to seven now." "What time does the class begin?"
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #9 - WHAT TIME IS IT IN VIETNAM? 3 M i ng⌥⇧i ⌦ang ⌦i làm b↵ng tàu. Ng⌥⇧i ph n ch y trên ⌦⌥⇧ng ⌦ua
The people are commuting by train. The woman runs on the track.
Bây gi⇧ ⌦✏n l⌥⇣t tôi. Xin l⌘i, tôi làm v✓ cái c◆c ca b n r i. /
Không sao. "Now it's my turn." "I'm sorry, I broke your cup already." / "Never Mind."
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
Ch y is a verb that has many different meanings. In this dialogue, it is used to describe the movement of the train but it also means the movement of any vehicles in general. For example, you can say xe bu˝t ch y trên ⇥⇤⌅ng which means "the bus is running on the road."
R⇥i is an adverb that can be added after a verb to express an action that has finished already at the moment of speaking, usually used with verbs in the past tense.
GRAMMAR
The Focus of this Lesson is Asking About the Time in Vietnamese. Bây gi⇤ là m⌅y gi⇤? "What time is it now?"
The question starts with the time phrase bây gi⌅ which means "now." The next word là is the verb "to be." Last comes m⇧y gi⌅ which means "what time." The whole question can be literally translated as "Now is what time?"
To answer this question, say "the number indicating the hour + gi⌅ ("hour") + the number indicating the minutes + phút ("minute")"
For example: Ba gi⌅ ba m⇤⌃i phút literally means "three hours thirty minutes" but can be understood as "3:30"
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #9 - WHAT TIME IS IT IN VIETNAM? 4 B⌥n gi⌅ m⇤⌅i l m phút literally means "four hours fifteen minutes" but can be understood as "4:15." You can also remove the word phút at the end and just mention the number indicating the minutes. For example: Ba gi⌅ m⇤⌅i l m means "3:15"
In daily conversation, to ask about the time, you can simply say M⇧y gi⌅ r i?, literally "What time already?" and it means "what time?"
For example:
1. M⇧y gi⌅ r i? - Chín gi⌅ m⇤⌅i phút. "What time is it? - "9:10"
Examples from this dialogue:
1. M⇧y gi⌅ tàu ch y? - Ba gi⌅ m⇤⌅i l m. "What time does the train leave?" - "3:15"
2. Bây gi⌅ là m⇧y gi⌅? - Ba gi⌅ r i. "What time is it now? - "It's three already."
Sample Sentences
1. Hai gi⌅ hai m⇤⌃i phút. "2:20"
2. Tám gi⌅ n m. "8:05."
Language Tip
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #9 - WHAT TIME IS IT IN VIETNAM? 5 In daily conversation, Vietnamese people often say r⇤⌦i which means "half" instead of ba m⇤⌃i phút which means "30 minutes." So instead of saying Ba gi⌅ ba m⇤⌃i phút (3:30), you say Ba gi⌅ r⇤⌦i or just Ba r⇤⌦i.
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Trains in Vietnam
In Vietnam, the train is not a daily public mean of transportation, which means that Vietnamese people don't use the train to travel within a city. It is only used for long distance, let's say, from one city/province to another. This is by far the best way to travel around Vietnam because it is comfortable, cheap and inexpensive and it gives you a great opportunity to view the sights on the way. The main classes on Vietnamese trains are hard seats, soft seats, hard bed sand soft beds. Seats are cheaper than beds and are suitable for short distances. If you travel on an overnight train, soft beds are highly recommended because they are very comfortable and not so expensive.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #9 - WHAT TIME IS IT IN VIETNAM? 6 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #10 Catching Up With An Old Friend in Vietnam
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 4 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 6 Cultural Insight
# 10
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. An: Chào Lan!
2. Lan: , An ⇥⇤y à? Lâu r⌅i không g⇧p.
3. An: D⌃o này kh⌥e không?
4. Lan: T kh⌥e. Còn c u th⌦ nào?
5. An: T ↵n. C u r nh không? i cà phê ⇥i.
6. Lan: Ok.
ENGLISH
1. An: Hey Lan!
2. Lan: Oh, An. Long time no see.
3. An: How are you these days?
4. Lan: I'm good. How are you?
5. An: I'm ok. Are you free? Let's go for some coffee.
6. Lan: Ok.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #10 - CATCHING UP WITH AN OLD FRIEND IN VIETNAM 2 i cà phê to go for some coffee phrase
r nh free, available adjective
n okay, fine adjective
Lâu r⌅i không g⇧p Long time no see. phrase
D⌃o này these days phrase
kh⌥e "fine" adjective
t I, me pronoun
c u you pronoun
v✏n still adverb
th⌦ nào "how" question phrase
SAMPLE SENTENCES
T i ⇥i cà phê không? Mai c⇤u r⌅nh thì ⇥i ch⇧i nhé.
"Shall we go for some coffee tonight?" "If you’re free tomorrow, let’s go out."
M⌃i vi⌥c ⇥ u n. Chào Nam, lâu r⌦i không g↵p.
"Everything is fine." "Hi Nam. Long time no see."
D o này tr i mát. Hút thu c lá có h i cho s c kh✏e.
"The weather is cool these days." "Smoking is not good for your health."
Chào b n. B n có kh✏e không? T⇣ v⌘a mua m✓t cái áo m⇣i.
"Hello. How are you?" "I have just bought a new shirt."
C⇤u ⇥ang làm gì v⇤y? C⇤u ⇥ang làm gì v⇤y?
"What are you doing?" "What are you doing?"
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #10 - CATCHING UP WITH AN OLD FRIEND IN VIETNAM 3 D o này b n th◆ nào? T⌘ này ⇥⌃c th◆ nào?
"How are you doing these days?" "How do you read this?"
Th i ti◆t Hà N✓i th◆ nào? M cái c a này th◆ nào?
"What's the weather like in Hanoi?" "How can I open this door, please?"
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
T , meaning "I/me," and c u, meaning "you," are a couple of pronouns used between friends or people of the same age with a high level of intimacy. Basically, you call yourself t⇥ and call the other c u or b⇤n. B⇤n can also be used to call the other in this case.
⇥i cà phê is a phrase that is used very commonly among friends. The phrase is literally translated as "go coffee," but it means "let's go for some drinks."
GRAMMAR
The Focus of this Lesson Is Asking How Someone Is (an Old Friend/Acquaintance) D⇤o này kh⌅e không? "How are you these days?"
The question starts with the time phrase d⇤o này, which means "these days" or "recently," followed by the adjective kh⌅e, which means "fine." Không, which means "no," comes at last to make a yes-no question. This question asks about the other person's health in general. To answer this question, say Tôi kh⌅e, c⇧m ⌃n ("I'm fine, thanks").
Another common way to ask "How are you?" is:
1. D⇤o này th⌥ nào? "How's everything these days?"
While the previous question asks more about health, this question focuses on the general
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #10 - CATCHING UP WITH AN OLD FRIEND IN VIETNAM 4 situation of the other person. The word th⌥ nào means "how." To answer this question, you can also say Tôi kh⌅e, c⇧m ⌃n ("I'm fine, thanks") or Tôi n, c⇧m ⌃n ("I'm ok, thanks").
The pronoun we use in the answer—Tôi—is the most general one, but you can change it depending on who you are talking with. In the dialog, Lan said T⇥ kh⌅e and An said T⇥ n because they are friends and they also don't need to say thanks.
The questions we have just learned are commonly used among friends or to ask someone younger. If you ask an older person, you need to add a pronoun to show more respect. For example:
1. D⇤o này anh kh⌅e không? "How are you these days?" (Ask a slightly older man or a young man in business situations)
2. D⇤o này ch kh⌅e không? "How are you these days?" (Ask a slightly older woman or a young woman in business situations)
Examples from this lesson:
1. D⇤o này kh⌅e không?
2. C u th⌥ nào?
Examples from this dialogue:
1. D⇤o này kh⌅e không?. "How are you these days?"
2. C u th⌥ nào? "How are you?"
Sample Sentences
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #10 - CATCHING UP WITH AN OLD FRIEND IN VIETNAM 5 1. D⇤o này ch kh⌅e không?. - Tôi kh⌅e, c⇧m ⌃n. "How are you these days?" - "I'm fine, thanks."
2. D⇤o này c u th⌥ nào?. - T⇥ kh⌅e. "How are you these days?" - "I'm good"
Language Tip
The time phrase d⇤o này is optional. You can say a pronoun + kh⌅e không? or even just kh⌅e không? if you're talking to a close friends
CULTURAL INSIGHT
When to Say "How Are You?" in Vietnam
Vietnamese people don't say "How are you?" as a general greeting like in English. They only ask this question of a person they haven't seen for a while or for a long time or when calling someone from a different place. They truly want to know how the other person is doing at the moment. So, don't ask this question of someone you meet for the first time or everyday.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #10 - CATCHING UP WITH AN OLD FRIEND IN VIETNAM 6 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #11 Bargaining At A Vietnamese Market
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 3 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 5 Cultural Insight
# 11
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. Mai: Xin h i, cái này bao nhiêu ti⇥n?
2. Seller: 30 nghìn.
3. Mai: ⇤⌅t quá. Gi⇧m giá chút ⌃i! 20 nghìn ⌃⌥ c không?
4. Seller: Thôi c ng ⌃⌥ c.
5. Mai: V⌦y cho tôi l↵y cái này.
ENGLISH
1. Mai: Excuse me, how much is this?
2. Seller: Thirty thousand dong.
3. Mai: So expensive. Can you lower the price a little bit? What about twenty thousand dong?
4. Seller: That's fine.
5. Mai: Ok, I'll take this.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
cái này "this" pronoun
bao nhiêu "how many", "how much" phrase
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #11 - BARGAINING AT A VIETNAMESE MARKET 2 ti⇥n "money" noun
⌃⌅t "expensive" adjective
quá "very", "too", "so" particle
gi⇧m to reduce, to lower verb
giá "price" noun
chút a little noun
l↵y to take
SAMPLE SENTENCES
⇥ng ch⇤m vào cái này. Cái bánh này ngon.
"Don't touch this." "This cake is delicious."
Cái bút này là c⌅a Lan. Chúng tôi ph⇧i tr⇧ bao nhiêu?
"This is Lan's pen." "How much do we have to pay?"
Ng⌃⌥i àn ông nh n ti⌦n. Tôi không có nhi⌦u ti⌦n.
"The man receives money." "I don't have much money."
Cô ↵y có m t chi c ô tô r↵t m c ( t). Em bé d✏ th⌃⇣ng quá!
"She has a very expensive car." "The baby is so cute!"
Hôm nay nhi⌘t gi⇧m. M↵y hôm nay giá vàng ang h⇤ xu✓ng.
"The temperature decreases today." "The price of gold is going down these days."
◆i m t chút! Mi ng⌃⌥i ã l↵y dâu.
"Wait a minute!" The people took the strawberries.
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #11 - BARGAINING AT A VIETNAMESE MARKET 3 Quá is an adverb meaning "too," "so," or "very." It is added after an adjective or another adverb to enhance their meaning. It can express a compliment or a criticism.
Chút is the short form of m t chút, which means "a little." This word is commonly used in daily conversation. For example: cho h⇥i chút ("Can I ask you a little question?"), ⇤n m t chút ⌅i ("Eat a little, please."), or ngh⇧ m t chút ("Relax a little"), etc.
GRAMMAR
The Focus of this Lesson Is Asking About Prices in Vietnamese. Cái này bao nhiêu ti n? "How much is this?"
When you want to ask about the price of something, add the noun indicating the thing at the beginning of the sentence, then add bao nhiêu ti⌃n, which literally means "How much money?" When you are pointing at something and ask its price, you can use cái này, meaning "this," or cái kia, meaning "that," then add bao nhiêu ti⌃n.
The currency unit for daily use in Vietnam is a thousand dong, which is nghìn ⌅⌥ng. But in most cases, people just say nghìn, and it can also be understood easily.
Examples:
1. Cái áo này bao nhiêu ti⌃n? - M t tr⇤m nghìn. "How much is this shirt?" - "One hundred thousand (dong)."
2. Cái m này bao nhiêu ti⌃n? - N⇤m m ⌦i nghìn. "How much is this hat?" - "Fifty thousand (dong)."
Examples from this dialogue:
1. Cái này bao nhiêu ti⌃n? - Ba m ⌦i nghìn "How much is this?" - "Thirty thousand."
Sample Sentences
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #11 - BARGAINING AT A VIETNAMESE MARKET 4 1. Quy↵n sách này bao nhiêu ti⌃n? "How much is this book?"
2. Cái bút kia bao nhiêu ti⌃n? "How much is that pen?"
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Bargaining When Shopping in Vietnam
It is very common to bargain when you go shopping in Vietnam, especially at the market. But there is no specific rule regarding how much lower you should bargain because it depends on the items you are buying. Some shops charge a much higher price than the true value, and some others just increase the price a little. It is recommended that you check the average price of the item you want to buy before going shopping to make sure that you won't pay a huge amount for a truly inexpensive item. If you are not into bargaining, you had better go to the supermarkets, where all the products have price tags.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #11 - BARGAINING AT A VIETNAMESE MARKET 5 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #12 Ordering A Delicious Vietnamese Meal
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 3 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 4 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 5 Cultural Insight
# 12
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. An: Anh i, cho xem cái th⇥c ⇤ n.
2. Waiter: ⌅ây ⇧.
3. An: C⌃m n. Mary, b⇧n mu⌥n n gì?
4. Mary: T n ph⌦ bò.
5. An: T c↵ng v y.
6. Mary: Anh i!
7. Waiter: Ch g i món gì ⇧?
8. Mary: Cho hai bát ph⌦ bò.
9. Waiter: Vâng, có ngay.
ENGLISH
1. An: Waiter, menu please.
2. Waiter: Here you are.
3. An: Thank you. Mary, what do you want to eat?
4. Mary: I want rice noodles with beef.
5. An: Me too.
CONT'D OVER
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #12 - ORDERING A DELICIOUS VIETNAMESE MEAL 2 6. Mary: Waiter!
7. Waiter: What food would you like to order?
8. Mary: Two bowls of rice noodles with beef, please.
9. Waiter: Yes, in a minute.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
bát bowl noun
"Waiter!" (to call for the Anh i! waiters’ attraction) expression
xem to look, to see, to watch verb
⇤ây "here" pronoun
mu⌥n to want verb
n "to eat" verb
ph⌦ bò rice noodles with beef noun
g i to order verb
món "dish" noun
⇤✏ u⌥ng beverage noun
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Tôi ã ⇥n hai bát c⇤m. Anh ⇤i! Mang cho tôi m⌅t c⇧c n⌃⌥c!
"I ate two bowls of rice." Waiter! Please bring me a cup of water.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #12 - ORDERING A DELICIOUS VIETNAMESE MEAL 3 Gia ình xem ti vi. ây không ⌃ c hút thu⇧c.
The family watches television. "No smoking allowed here."
Nhà tôi cách ây 1 km. M⌦i b↵n ng i xu⇧ng ây.
"My house is 1 km from here." "Please sit here."
Tôi mu⇧n g p m tôi. Qu✏ táo này có th⇣ ⇥n ⌃ c.
"I want to see my mother." "This apple is edible."
Ng⌃⌦i Vi⌘t Nam thu⌦ng ⇥n c⇤m. Tôi xem th✓c ⇤n r i g◆i món.
"Vietnamese people often eat rice." "I saw the menu and ordered food."
Món này rt ngon.
"This dish is very delicious."
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
Anh i is a phrase used to catch a man's attention. In Vietnamese, we don't call "waiter!" in a restaurant. Instead, just say anh i, which is similar to "Hey man" or "Excuse me"; then, they will come over to you. To call a waitress, say em i if they are young and ch⇥ i if they look older than you. So, basically, choose the pronoun to address the waiter/waitress, then add i after that. This saying can also be used to catch others' attention in general—not only in restaurants.
G⇥i, as we learned in previous lessons, means "to call." But when it comes to food or drink, g⇤i means "to order." Vietnamese people often use the compound word g⇤i món to mean ordering food in general.
GRAMMAR
The Focus of this Lesson Is How to Order Food/Drink
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #12 - ORDERING A DELICIOUS VIETNAMESE MEAL 4 Cho hai bát ph⇤ bò. "Two bowls of rice noodles with beef, please."
When you want to order food/drink, simply say: cho + number/quantity + classifier + the name of the food/drink. Cho means "to give," so this sentence literally means "give me something." The main structure is: Cho + number/quantity + classifier + name of food/drink.
You can say: Làm n cho tôi ("please give me") + number/ quantity + classifier + food/drink, to make it more polite. So, you add làm n, which means "please," then add the pronoun tôi after cho.
For example:
1. Cho hai lon coca. "Two Cokes, please."
2. Làm n cho tôi hai lon coca (more polite) "Two Cokes, please."
Examples from this dialogue:
1. Cho hai bát ph⌅ bò. "Two bowls of rice noodles with beef, please."
Sample Sentences
1. Cho hai c⇧c trà ⌃á. "Two glasses of iced tea, please."
2. Cho m⌥t ⌃ a c m rang. "A plate of fried rice, please."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #12 - ORDERING A DELICIOUS VIETNAMESE MEAL 5 Ph⇤ Rice Noodles
The Ph⌅ rice noodle is a very popular Vietnamese traditional food, and it is the most well- known Vietnamese food among foreigners. It is the noodle soup that makes it special. The soup is often made with beef (ph⌅ bò) or chicken (ph⌅ gà), combined with baked onions, ginger, basil, and cinnamon. When serving, Vietnamese people add some lime juice or garlic vinegar, chili sauce, and some herbs. This is the most-wanted food among Vietnamese living overseas, so there are a lot of Pho restaurants in different countries in the world. You can also surely find it at any Vietnamese restaurant.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #12 - ORDERING A DELICIOUS VIETNAMESE MEAL 6 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #13 Booking a Hotel Room in Vietnam
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 3 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 5 Cultural Insight
# 13
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. Mary: Tôi mu n m⇥t phòng.
2. Receptionist: Ch⇤ mu n phòng ⌅⇧n hay phòng ⌅ôi ⌃?
3. Mary: Phòng ⌅⇧n.
4. Receptionist: Ch⇤ mu n phòng hút thu c hay không hút thu c ⌃?
5. Mary: Không hút thu c.
6. Receptionist: Vâng, ch⇤ ⌅⌥i m⇥t chút ⌃.
ENGLISH
1. Mary: I want a room.
2. Receptionist: Would you like a single or a double room?
3. Mary: A single room.
4. Receptionist: Would you like a smoking or a non-smoking room?
5. Mary: Non-smoking.
6. Receptionist: All right. Please wait a moment.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #13 - BOOKING A HOTEL ROOM IN VIETNAM 2 mu n to want verb
phòng "room" noun
phòng ⌅⇧n single room noun
phòng ⌅ôi double room noun
"smoking", "to smoke hút thu c cigarette" noun, verb
không hút thu c non-smoking phrase
vâng "yes" interjection
⌅⌥i wait verb
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Tôi mu n g⇥p m⇤ tôi. Trong phòng có m⌅t chi⇧c bàn và m⌅t
chi⇧c gh⇧. "I want to see my mother." "There's a table and a chair in the room."
Có nhi⌃u ng⌥ i trong phòng. ⌦ ↵ây không ↵⌥ c hút thu c.
"There are many people in the room." "No smoking allowed here."
Không hút thu c trong tr⌥ ng h c. Vâng, tôi ↵ã ↵⇧n ↵ó m⌅t l n.
"Don’t smoke in school." "Yes, I've been there once."
Ng⌥ i khách du l✏ch ↵ i tàu.
The traveler waits for the train.
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
Hút thu c means "to smoke." When it refers to a smoking room, the word phòng, meaning "a
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #13 - BOOKING A HOTEL ROOM IN VIETNAM 3 room," is added before this verb to make the noun phrase phòng hút thu c. Note that the form of the verb doesn't change in the noun phrase as in English, where you would have to change the verb "smoke" to "smoking." This is due to the fact that Vietnamese verbs are not conjugated, meaning that the form never changes according to the subject or time. To reflect the tense, an adverb will be added to the infinitive form of the verb. For more details, please check the All About series.
Another point to note is that, usually, there is no distinction between a smoking and a non- smoking area in a Vietnamese restaurant (except for in very high class ones). So, you will not hear the waiter/waitress asking whether you smoke or not when you enter a restaurant in Vietnam.
Vâng means "yes" and is used to reply to an older person or someone to whom you want to show respect or politeness, such as your customers, etc. An answer starting with vâng usually ends with ⇥, the sentence-ending particle to increase your politeness. a can be used in some other situations, which we will mention in more detail in Lesson 16. In Lesson 9, you learned the word ⇤, also meaning "yes," but this is very informal and can only be used to talk with someone around your age or younger.
For example:
1. To a customer: Vâng ⌅ây là dich v⇧ mi⌃n phí ⇥. "Yes, this is a free service."
2. To a friend: ⌥ ⌅ây là d ch v⇧ mi⌃n phí. "Yes, this is a free service."
⇥⇤i means "to wait." The frequently used phrase that contains this verb is ⌅ i m⌦t chút or ⌅ i tí —literally, "wait a bit" or "wait a little"—which means "wait a minute" or "hold on a second." The sentence-ending particle used with this phrase is nhé, which makes it more intimate.
1. ↵ i t m⌦t chút nhé. "Wait for me for a minute."
2. ↵ i tí nhé. "Hold on a second."
GRAMMAR
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #13 - BOOKING A HOTEL ROOM IN VIETNAM 4 The Focus of this Lesson Is Asking What You Want in Vietnamese Tôi mu n m⌅t phòng "I want a room."
Start with the verb mu n, which means "to want," followed by the noun indicating the thing you want. Usually a noun classifier is added right after mu n and before the main noun.
The main structure is: Tôi + muôn + quantity + classifier (if any) + Object
For example:
1. Tôi mu n m⌦t quy n v m i. "I want a new notebook." (quy n is the classifier for "books," "notebooks," and the like)
2. Tôi mu n m⌦t c c cà phê s✏a. "I want a glass of milk coffee."
3. Tôi mu n m⌦t con cún. (con is the classifier for animals) "I want a puppy."
4. Tôi mu n m⌦t cái áo m i. "I want a new shirt." (cái is the classifier for objects)
Normally, we don't add a noun indicating a person right after mu n. We use mu n có, meaning "want to have."
For example:
1. Incorrect: Tôi mu n m⌦t b⇥n gái. ("I want a girlfriend.") Correct: Tôi mu n có b⇥n gái. ("I want to have a girlfriend.")
2. Incorrect: Tôi mu n m⌦t ch gái. ("I want an elder sister.") Correct: Tôi mu n có ch gái. ("I want to have an elder sister.")
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Finding a Hotel in
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #13 - BOOKING A HOTEL ROOM IN VIETNAM 5 Vietnam
It's not difficult to find a hotel in Vietnam, especially in big cities such as Ha Noi or Ho Chi Minh. Though it is preferable to do some research and book a hotel in advance, when arranging accommodation at short notice, you can drop by a hotel and ask for a room there. To get a room in a three-star hotel, you will only have to spend around 30 USD, and the room and hotel services are usually quite good. You can also stay in a guest house, which is a lot cheaper, but is sometimes not safe enough for foreign tourists. Safety boxes may not be included, in which case valuables are left at your own risk. Other reasons for lack of safety include guest house owner dishonesty, not to mention the risk of having your things stolen without a legal leg to stand on. Items at a high risk of theft include cameras and cash. The service quality of guest houses in Vietnam is not always of a great standard, so visitors should always be clear on the price prior to staying there. Stick to hotels whenever possible. Other things to be wary of as a tourist include having your picture taken with locals. The locals may expect payment for the privilege of having your photo taken, especially with traditional hats or outdoor fruit-selling props. If you take a photo of a fruit-seller, by the way, be sure to purchase some of their delicious fruit!
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #13 - BOOKING A HOTEL ROOM IN VIETNAM 6 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #14 Taking a Taxi in Vietnam
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 3 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 4 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 5 Grammar 6 Cultural Insight
# 14
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. Minh: T c xi!
2. Taxi driver: Cô mu⇥n ⇤i ⇤âu ⌅?
3. Minh: Làm ⇧n ⇤⌃a tôi t⌥i ph⇥ c .
4. Taxi: Vâng, m i cô lên xe.
5. (M⌃ i phút sau)
6. Minh: Làm ⇧n cho tôi xu⇥ng ⇤ây. Bao nhiêu ti⌦n ⌅?
7. Taxi driver: Hai m⌃⇧i nghìn.
8. Minh: G↵i anh.
9. Taxi driver: C m ⇧n.
ENGLISH
1. Minh: Taxi!
2. Taxi driver: Where do you want to go, Miss?
3. Minh: Please take me to the Old Quarter.
4. Taxi: Okay, please get in.
5. (10 minutes later)
CONT'D OVER
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #14 - TAKING A TAXI IN VIETNAM 2 6. Minh: Please let me get off here. How much is it?
7. Taxi driver: Twenty thousand.
8. Minh: Here you are.
9. Taxi driver: Thank you.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
t⌥i to preposition
Ph⇥ C The Old Quarter noun
Lên (xe) to get in (a vehicle) verb
Xu⇥ng (xe) to get off (of a vehicle) verb
t c xi "taxi" noun
⇤i to go, to come verb
⇤âu "where" adverb, pronoun
làm ⇧n "please" phrase
⇤⌃a "to take" verb
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Cô y ⇥ang ⇥i t⇤i tr⌅⇧ng. Ph⌃ c⌥ là m t ⇥i m du l⌦ch ↵ Hà N i.
"She is going to school." "The Old Quarter is a tourist spot in Ha Noi"
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #14 - TAKING A TAXI IN VIETNAM 3 Lên tàu thôi! Cho tôi xu⌃ng ↵ b n xe ti p theo nhé.
"Let’s get on the train!" "Let me get off at the next bus stop."
Mai Linh là m t công ty taxi uy tín ↵ Vi t Hôm nay tôi không ⇥ n tr⌅⇧ng.
Nam. "I don't go to school today." "Mai Linh is an honorable taxi company in Vietnam."
B n t✏ ⇥âu ⇥ n? Làm ⇣n d y tôi phát âm t✏ này.
"Where are you from?" "Please teach me how to pronounce this word."
Làm ⇣n gi⌘i thích giúp tôi. Tôi nghe không ⇥⌅✓c rõ, làm ⇣n nói ch◆m
l i. "Please explain it to me." "I cannot hear clearly, please speak again slowly."
Làm ⇣n ⇥⌅a cho tôi cái bút ⇥ó. Xin ⇥⌅a tôi ⇥ n b nh vi n.
"Please give me that pen." "Please take me to the hospital."
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
T i is used as the preposition "to" in this lesson, but it is also a verb meaning "to go" or "to arrive."
1. Sáng nay tôi t i tr⇥⇤ng mu⌅n. "I went to school late this morning."
2. T⇧c xi t i r⌃i. "The taxi has arrived."
Làm ⇥n means "please." This phrase is usually added before a verb phrase to make a polite request.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #14 - TAKING A TAXI IN VIETNAM 4 1. Làm ⌥n d y tôi vi t t⌦ này. "Please teach me how to write this word."
2. Làm ⌥n không g↵i i n tho i ây. "Please don't make phone calls here."
Lên-Xu⇤ng is actually a pair of prepositions meaning "up-down," but it means "to get on-get off" when used with a vehicle.
Lên xe: "Get on a bus/car/bike"
Lên tàu: "Get on a train"
Xu✏ng xe: "Get off a bus/car/bike"
Xu✏ng tàu: "Get off a train"
This pair of verbs is sometimes used alone, without objects. This is when you know exactly what vehicle you are talking about-for example, when a taxi driver opens the door and tells the passenger: M⇤i anh lên/M⇤i ch⇣ lên ("Please get on.")
When a passenger is on a vehicle and wants to get off, he/she can just say: Cho tôi xu✏ng ây ("Let me get off here").
GRAMMAR
The Focus of this Lesson Is How to Ask a Polite Request in Vietnamese Làm ⇥n ⌅⇧a tôi t i ph⇤ c⌃. "Please take me to the Old Quarter."
Start the request with Làm ⌥n, which means "please," followed by the main verb. Then add tôi or cho tôi (meaning "me" or "for me"), and finally add an object if necessary.
The main structure is: Lam ⌥n + Verb + tôi/ cho tôi + Objective.
For example:
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #14 - TAKING A TAXI IN VIETNAM 5 1. Làm ⌥n bán cho tôi 2 vé tàu i Hà N⌅i "Two train tickets to Ha Noi, please." (literally, "Please sell to me two train tickets to Ha Noi.")
2. Làm ⌥n ch⌘ ⇥⇤ng cho tôi t i ph✏ c✓ "Please show me the direction of the Old Quarter."
3. Làm ⌥n giúp tôi. "Can you help me?" (literally, "Please help me.")
Examples from this dialogue:
1. Làm ⌥n cho tôi xu✏ng ây. "Please let me get off here"
CULTURAL INSIGHT
The Old Quarter
The Old Quarter, located in the center of Ha Noi, is a must-see tourist spot. It has a unique layout of architecture of the old Ha Noi. The Quarter contains 36 small streets and is a very exciting shopping area. Each street specializes in selling certain kind of goods. The street names are even dedicated to the goods that are being sold. You can find a lot of interesting souvenirs that are traditional to Vietnam when walking around this area. Ha Noi's Old Quarter is also home to the popular tourist trap that is Ta Hien street, a favourite hangout for locals and backpackers alike. People typically gather here and drink beer in the streets. For nature- lovers, the Hoan Kiem lake is located just seven minutes away. The lake is most famous for its history and the Thap Rùa ("Turtle Tower"), which stands on a small island near the center of lake and is linked to legend. To keep the beauty of this lake, the government limits the height of buildings around the lake. In addition to the Turtle Tower, other tourist spots include the Huc bridge, meaning "Morning Sunlight Bridge" and the Temple of the Jade Mountain.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #14 - TAKING A TAXI IN VIETNAM 6 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #15 Enjoying a Delicious Vietnamese Meal
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 4 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 5 Grammar 5 Cultural Insight
# 15
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. An: Xin m i.
2. Mary: ⇥ây là món gì v⇤y?
3. An: ⇥ây là món nem.
4. Mary: Món này ⌅n th⇧ nào?
5. An: Ch⌃m vào n⌥ c m m này r⌦i ⌅n.
6. Mary: ↵, r⌃t ngon!
ENGLISH
1. An: Please enjoy.
2. Mary: What food is this?
3. An: This is a spring roll.
4. Mary: How can I eat this?
5. An: Dip it in this sauce and eat it.
6. Mary: Oh, very delicious.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #15 - ENJOYING A DELICIOUS VIETNAMESE MEAL 2 Xin m i Please (formal) verb phrase
món "dish" noun
gì "what" question word, pronoun
nem spring roll noun
⌅n "to eat" verb
th⇧ nào "how" question phrase
ch⌃m to dip verb
n⌥ c m m fish sauce noun
ngon "good", "delicious" adjective
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Xin m i ng⇥i. Món này r⇤t ngon.
"Please be seated." "This dish is very delicious."
⌅ây là cái gì? B⇧n ⌃ang n⇤u món gì v⌥y?
"What is this?" "What are you cooking?"
Không có gì. Nem là món n truy n th⌦ng c↵a Vi t
Nam. "You're welcome." (lit."It's not at all.") "Spring rolls are the traditional food of Vietnam."
Qu táo này có th n ⌃✏⇣c. Ng✏ i Vi t Nam thu ng n c⌘m.
"This apple is edible." "Vietnamese people often eat rice."
D⇧o này b⇧n th✓ nào? T◆ này ⌃c th✓ nào?
"How are you doing these days?" "How do you read this?"
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #15 - ENJOYING A DELICIOUS VIETNAMESE MEAL 3 Th i ti✓t Hà N i th✓ nào? M cái c⌫a này th✓ nào?
"What's the weather like in Hanoi?" "How can I open this door, please?"
Nem cu⌦n ch⇤m n✏⇠c n⇡m chua ngt thì N✏⇠c m⇡m là lo⇧i n✏⇠c ch⇤m ⌃⇢c bi t r⇤t tuy t. c↵a Vi t Nam.
"Fresh spring rolls dipped in sweet and "Fish sauce is a special sauce of Vietnam." sour sauce is really great."
Món này r⇤t ngon. Cái bánh này ngon.
"This dish is very delicious." "This cake is delicious."
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
Xin m i is a special verb phrase, often added before another verb to express a polite invitation. It can be understood as "I would like to invite you to do this/that." For example: xin m i ng⇥i ("please sit down") and xin m i u⇤ng n⌅⇧c ("please drink"). Xin m i can be used as an independent phrase and is said before a meal starts to express, "Everyone, please eat/ enjoy the food" (as in this dialogue).
th⇥ nào means "how," and it is a very common question word. When you want to ask how to do this or that, you can add this question word after a verb. For example: làm th⌃ nào ("how to do"), ⌥ c th⌃ nào ("how to read"), and n th⌃ nào ("how to eat"). ngon is used when you want to say that some food is delicious. There are several common adverbs that can be used with ngon to express different levels of interest in the food.
For example:
1. r⌦t ngon: "very delicious"
2. c↵c ngon: "extremely delicious"
3. ngon quá: "too delicious," "how delicious it is"
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #15 - ENJOYING A DELICIOUS VIETNAMESE MEAL 4 4. ngon tuy t: "excellently delicious"
5. ngon th t:" really delicious"
GRAMMAR
The Focus of this Lesson Is How To Ask about Food in Vietnamese. ⇤ây là món gì? "What is this food/dish?"
The question starts with ⌥ây, which means "this," which is followed by là, meaning "to be." The next word is món, meaning "food/dish," and the final word is gì, which is "what." This question can come in handy when you try a Vietnamese food and you want to know its name.
The key phrase of this question is món gì ("what food"). You can also ask Kia là món gì? ("What is that food?") or Món này là món gì? (literally, "What food is this food?" which can be translated as "What is this food called?"). Examples:
1. ây là món gì? - Món ph✏ bò. "What is this food?" - "Rice noodle soup with beef."
2. Kia là món gì? - Món xôi gà. "What is that food? - "Steamed rice with chicken."
3. Món này là món gì? - Món nem rán. "What is this food called?" - "Fried spring rolls."
Examples from this dialogue:
1. ây là món gì? ây là món nem. "What is this food?" "This is the spring roll."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #15 - ENJOYING A DELICIOUS VIETNAMESE MEAL 5 Vietnamese Food
Spring rolls are a very popular Vietnamese food, and a lot of foreigners like them, too. There are two kinds of spring rolls: "fresh spring rolls" (usually known as nem cu⇤n or g⇣i cu⇤n) and "fried spring rolls" (known as nem rán). Fresh spring rolls are more popular among foreigners, but the fried ones are really the traditional food of Vietnam and are indispensable at any traditional feasts or parties. Both are eaten with a sweet and sour sauce made from fish sauce, sugar, lemon juice/vinegar, garlic, and chilli.
Besides spring rolls, Vietnam is also famous for ph✏ ("rice noodle soup"), bún ch⌘ ("rice vermicelli with baked pork"), xôi ("steamed sticky rice"), bánh m✓ ba tê ("Vietnamese-style baguette"), and many other delicious foods. Vietnamese people usually eat breads, noodles, or sticky rice for breakfast and rice for lunch and dinner. A typical meal contains rice, soup, vegetables, and one main source of protein, which can be fish or meat.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #15 - ENJOYING A DELICIOUS VIETNAMESE MEAL 6 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #16 Asking Formal Questions in Vietnamese
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 4 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 5 Cultural Insight
# 16
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. Trang: Xin h i, g⇥n ⇤ây có ngân hàng nào không ⌅?
2. Passenger: Có ngân hàng Vietcombank ⇤⇧y.
3. Trang: ⌃i ⇤⌥n ⇤⇧y nh th⌥ nào ⌅?
4. Passenger: ⌃i th ng 3 phút là ⇤⌥n.
5. Trang: C⌦m ↵n bác.
6. Passenger: Không có gì.
ENGLISH
1. Trang: Excuse me, is there a bank near here?
2. Passenger: There's a Vietcombank.
3. Trang: How can I get there?
4. Passenger: Go straight for three minutes and you'll get there.
5. Trang: Thank you, uncle.
6. Passenger: You're welcome.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #16 - AS KING FORMAL QUESTIONS IN VIETNAMESE 2 uncle, aunt (who are older bác than your parents) pronoun
g⇥n ⇤ây near here adverb
ngân hàng "bank" noun
nào "any" pronoun
⇤i to go, to come verb
⇤ây "here" pronoun
nh th⌥ nào how interrogative word
th ng "straight" adjective
⇤⌥n to reach/arrive verb
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Bác làm ⇥âu ⇤? Xin h⌅i bác có bi⇧t nhà b⇤n Lan ⇥âu
không ⇤? "Where do you work, uncle?" "Excuse me, do you know where Lan’s house is?"
Ngân hàng ⇥óng c⌃a lúc 4 gi⌥ chi u. B⇤n có anh em trai hay ch em gái nào
không? "The bank closes at 4 p.m." "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"
Hôm nay tôi không ⇥⇧n tr⌦⌥ng. ↵ ⇥ây không ⇥⌦ c hút thu c.
"I don't go to school today." "No smoking allowed here."
Nhà tôi cách ⇥ây 1 km. M⌥i b⇤n ng i xu ng ⇥ây.
"My house is 1 km from here." "Please sit here."
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #16 - AS KING FORMAL QUESTIONS IN VIETNAMESE 3 Món này n✏u nh⌦ th⇧ nào? Sau bu⇣i ti⌘c chúng tôi ⇥i th✓ng v nhà.
"How can I cook this food?" "After the party, we went straight back home."
Ng⌦⌥i cha ⇥⇧n công viên
"The father arrives at the park."
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
G n ⇥ây can be used as both an adverb of time and adverb of place. It means "recently" in terms of time and "near here" in terms of place. To differentiate these two meanings, you will usually say g⇥n ⇤ây (literally "in near here") when talking about place and just g⇥n ⇤ây when talking about time.
For example:
1. G⇥n ⇤ây b⌅n th⇧ nào? "How are you doing lately?"
2. ⌃ g⇥n ⇤ây có m⌥t quán KFC. "There's a KFC near here."
Nào. We have learned that nào means "which or what" but in this lesson it is used as "any" in English. But unlike in English where "any" is put before a noun, nào is placed after a noun in Vietnamese.
For example:
1. Tháng này tôi không mua quy n sách nào. "I haven't bought any books this month."
Bác is a pronoun used to refer to a man or a woman who is/looks a little older than your parents.
GRAMMAR
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #16 - AS KING FORMAL QUESTIONS IN VIETNAMESE 4 The Focus of this Lesson is How to Ask a Question in the Most Formal Way. Xin h⇤i g n ⇥ây có ngân hàng nào không ⌅? "Excuse me, is there a bank near here?"
A polite question usually starts with xin h i ("excuse me") and ends with ⌅. ⌦ is a sentence- ending particle and is added when you are talking with an older person or someone in a formal situation. Sometimes you can remove xin h i from the beginning.
For example:
1. Xin h i ⇤ây có bán th↵ ⇤i n tho⌅i không ⌅? "Excuse me, do you sell phone cards here?"
2. T i nay b có n c✏m nhà không ⌅? "Dad, are you coming home for dinner tonight?"
Normally, it will be added at the end of a sentence as a particle.
The particle ⌅ is not only added at the end of a question. It can also be put at the end of a statement to make it more polite—it also shows respect to the other speaker. But please note that you WON'T add this particle when you talk with a younger person in both formal or informal situations, unless you are not sure about his/her age.
For example:
1. M⇣ ✏i, chi⌘u nay con ⇤✓◆c ngh h c ⌅. "Mom, I will be off school this afternoon"
2. Em chào cô ⌅. "Hello, teacher."
Another example from this dialogue:
1. i ⇤⇧n ⇤⌫y nh✓ th⇧ nào ⌅? "How do I get there?"
CULTURAL INSIGHT
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #16 - AS KING FORMAL QUESTIONS IN VIETNAMESE 5 Where To Do Banking in Vietnam
Vietcombank is the short name of Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam. It is the most prestigious commercial bank for foreign trade in Vietnam and the first commercial bank in Vietnam to deal with foreign currencies. Vietcombank has the largest ATM network in Vietnam, so it is easy to find Vietcombank ATMs in handy locations such as hotels, supermarkets, airports, shopping malls etc. You should ask about Vietcombank whenever you want to find a bank in Vietnam as it is a well-known bank known by everyone. There is one located on almost every street.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #16 - AS KING FORMAL QUESTIONS IN VIETNAMESE 6 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #17 What Do You Do in Your Free Time in Vietnam?
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 3 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 5 Cultural Insight
# 17
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. An: Khi r nh b⇥n làm gì?
2. Hoa: T⇤ ⌅i cà phê ho⇧c ⌅i mua s⌃m v⇤i b⇥n bè. Còn b⇥n?
3. An: T⇤ th⌥ ng ⌅ c sách ho⇧c nghe nh⇥c.
4. Hoa: B⇥n thích nghe nh⇥c gì?
5. An: T⇤ thích nh⇥c pop.
6. Hoa: T⇤ thì thích nh⇥c rock h⌦n.
ENGLISH
1. An: What do you do in your free time?
2. Hoa: I go to a café or go shopping with friends. What about you?
3. An: I often read books or listen to music.
4. Hoa: What kind of music do you like?
5. An: I like pop music.
6. Hoa: I prefer rock.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #17 - WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME IN VIETNAM? 2 Khi when adverb
r nh free, available adjective
gì "what" question word, pronoun
⌅i mua s⌃m to go shopping verb phrase
th⌥ ng often adverb
sách book noun
nghe nh⇥c to listen to music verb phrase
thích to like, to love verb
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Khi bu n tôi th⇥⇤ng nghe nh⌅c. Mai c⇧u r⌃nh thì ⌥i ch i nhé.
"I often listen to music when I’m sad." "If you’re free tomorrow, let’s go out."
ây là cái gì? B⌅n ⌥ang n⌦u món gì v⇧y?
"What is this?" "What are you cooking?"
Không có gì. i mua s↵m là cách th⇥ giãn t t.
"You're welcome." (lit."It's not at all.") "Going shopping is a good way to relax."
Tôi th⇥⇤ng th c d⇧y lúc 7 gi⇤ sáng. Ng⇥⇤i m ⌥✏c cho con gái.
"I often get up at 7 a.m." "The mother reads to her daughter."
Tôi thích nghe nh⌅c pop. Có, tôi ⌥⇣c bi⌘t thích Ph✓.
"I like listening to pop music." "Yes, I especially love Pho."
Tôi thích ◆n cá.
"I like eating fish."
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #17 - WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME IN VIETNAM? 3 Khi + adjective can be used to refer to a time when you are in a certain state or have a certain feeling. Unlike in English, where we have to use "when" + "being" + adjective, in Vietnamese, we can use khi directly followed by an adjective. For example:
1. khi bu n "when being sad"
2. khi b⇥n r⇤n "when being busy"
3. khi m⌅t "when feeling tired"
Th ⇥ng is an adverb of frequency and is put before the main verb. It is used in exactly the same way as "often" or "usually" in English.
Thích means "to like," and it can be followed by a noun or a verb phrase to express that you like something or like to do something. The verb can be added directly after thích without any change in the form.
For example:
1. Tôi thích sách v⇧n h⌃c. "I like literature books."
2. Tôi thích ⌥⌃c sách v⇧n h⌃c. "I like to read literature books."
GRAMMAR
The Focus of this Lesson Is the Simple Present Tense T⇤ th ⇥ng ⌅⇧c sách ho⌃c nghe nh⌥c. "I often read books or listen to music."
In the simple present tense, the bare form of the verb is put right after the subject, and it remains the same no matter whether the subject is the first, second, or third person or singular or plural. As in English, the simple present tense is used to express a regular activity, daily
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #17 - WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME IN VIETNAM? 4 routines, or habits. Adverbs of frequencies are also used to enhance the meaning of the action and are always put after the subject and before the main verb. The time expression, if any, can be put at the beginning or the end of the sentence.
The main structure is: S + adverb of frequency (if any) + V. Examples:
1. Tôi th ng d⇥y vào 7 gi sáng. "I often get up at seven a.m."
2. Hàng ngày cô ⌦y ⌥i b⇤ ⌥↵n tr ng. "Every day, she walks to school."
3. H⌃ hi↵m khi ⇧n hàng. "They rarely eat out in a restaurant."
Examples from this dialogue:
1. T ⌥i cà phê ho c mua s m v i b✏n bè. "I go to the caféteria or go shopping with friends."
2. T th ng ⌥⌃c sách ho c nghe nh✏c. "I often read books or listen to music."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Vietnamese Entertainment
There are several entertainment activities that are popular among young people in Vietnam. The most common is ⌥i cà phê, which means "going to a caféteria" for chatting and relaxing with a group of friends. Normally, young people love to gather in a large department store or shopping mall where they can do several activities at once, like shopping, eating, playing games, or watching movies. Young girls can choose to go shopping in popular shopping streets instead of shopping malls, as it is easier to find nice items for a reasonable price. Guys are more into playing games in Internet cafés or playing soccer.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #17 - WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME IN VIETNAM? 5 For foreign tourists, water puppetry is a highly recommended entertainment show. This is a unique traditional show where you can see puppets dancing on the water. The puppets are made of lacquered wood. They are attached to a large rod, and their movements are supported by that rod, which is controlled by the puppeteers who are hidden behind a screen on the stage. The show is very enjoyable and exciting to watch.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #17 - WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME IN VIETNAM? 6 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #18 Sending a Letter Home From Vietnam
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 3 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 5 Cultural Insight
# 18
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1. Mai: Tôi mu n g⇥i th⇤ này ⌅i New York.
2. Staff: Ch⇧ mu n g⇥i th⇤⌃ng hay chuy⌥n phát nhanh ?
3. Mai: Chuy⌥n phát nhanh thì m t bao lâu?
4. Staff: Kho⌦ng m↵t tu n .
5. Mai: C⇤ c phí là bao nhiêu?
6. Staff: Kho⌦ng 20 ⌅ô .
ENGLISH
1. Mai: I want to send this letter to New York.
2. Staff: Would you like to send it by regular mail or EMS?
3. Mai: How long does it take by EMS?
4. Staff: About one week.
5. Mai: How much is the fee?
6. Staff: About twenty US dollars.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #18 - S ENDING A LETTER HOME FROM VIETNAM 2 kho⌦ng about, nearly adverb
c⇤ c phí fee noun
tu n week noun
mu n to want verb
g⇥i "to send" verb
th⇤ letter noun
g⇥i th⇤⌃ng to send by regular mail verb phrase
chuy⌥n phát nhanh EMS noun
m t to take verb
bao lâu "how long" interrogative
SAMPLE SENTENCES
T nhà tôi ⇥⇤n tr⌅⇧ng kho⌃ng 3km. C⌅⌥c phí di ⇥ ng ngày càng t ng.
"It is about 3km from my house to school." "The mobile fee is increasing."
M t tu⌦n trôi qua r↵t nhanh. Tôi mu n g p m tôi.
"One week passes very quickly." "I want to see my mother."
Tôi ⇥⇤n b⌅u ⇥i✏n ⇥⇣ g⌘i th⌅. H✓c sinh c↵p hai vi⇤t th⌅.
"I went to the post-office to send a letter." "The middle school student writes a letter."
C⌅⌥c phí g⌘i th⌅⇧ng r↵t r◆. Dch v chuy⇣n phát nhanh r↵t ti✏n l i.
"Sending by regular mail is very cheap." "The EMS service is very convenient."
X⇤p hàng mua vé tàu m↵t c⌃ n⌘a ngày. B⌫n h✓c ti⇤ng Vi✏t bao lâu r⇠i?
"It took half a day to queue in line for a "How long have you been studying train ticket." Vietnamese?"
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #18 - S ENDING A LETTER HOME FROM VIETNAM 3 M t has a lot of meanings, but the most common meaning is "to take," and it is used with time or money. In other words, it expresses how much time it takes to do something or how much something costs.
For example:
1. Hôm nay i mua s⇥m m⇤t g⌅n m⇧t tri⌃u. "It cost me about a million dong for shopping today."
2. Tôi m⇤t g⌅n 3 ti⌥ng m i c xong cu⌦n sách. "It took me almost three hours to finish reading the book."
C⇥⇤c phí is usually used to refer to "the telephone fee" (c↵ c phí i⌃n tho i), "postal fee" (c↵ c phí b↵u i⌃n), or "transportation fee" (c↵ c phí v n chuy n). If we want to say "the fee" in general, the single word phí is used.
For example:
1. h c phí: "school fee"
2. vi⌃n phí: "hospital fee"
3. phí giao d✏ch: "transaction fee"
Kho⌅ng is an adverb expressing an approximation in distance, time, or quantity in general. It is added before the number.
1. Cô ⇤y kho⇣ng 20 tu⌘i. "She is about twenty years old."
2. Bay t✓ Hà N⇧i ⌥n thành ph⌦ H◆ Chí Minh m⇤t kho⇣ng m⇧t ti⌥ng r↵i. "It takes about one and a half hours by plane from Ha Noi to Ho Chi Minh."
3. T✓ nhà tôi ⌥n công ty kho⇣ng 1 km. "It is about one kilometer from my house to my company."
GRAMMAR
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #18 - S ENDING A LETTER HOME FROM VIETNAM 4 The Focus of this Lesson Is How To Ask the Length of Time Chuy⇧n phát nhanh thì m t bao lâu? "How long does it take (to send) by EMS?"
The key phrase here is m⇤t bao lâu? M⇤t means "to take" and bao lâu means "how long." So, m⇤t bao lâu means "how long does it take?" If you want to ask how long it takes to do something, simply add the phrase indicating the action before m⇤t bao lâu. In many cases, the adverb thì, meaning "then," is added between the action and m⇤t bao lâu, implying, "if I do this, then how long will it take?"
The main structure is: S (verb phrase) + (thì)+ m⇤t bao lâu?
For example:
1. i b⇧ t i tr↵ ng thì m⇤t bao lâu? "How long does it take to walk to school?"
2. i tàu t✓ Hà N⇧i ⌥n thành ph⌦ H◆ Chí Minh m⇤t bao lâu? "How long does it take to go from Ha Noi to Ho Chi Minh by train?"
3. c m⇧t cu⌦n sách 300 trang m⇤t bao lâu? "How long does it take to read a 300-page book?"
Language Tip
Another way to ask about the length of time is to put m⇤t bao lâu at the beginning, followed by , meaning "to," and then to finally add the action. The whole sentence would mean, "It takes how long to do something?"
For example:
1. M⇤t bao lâu i b⇧ t i tr↵ ng? "How long does it take to walk to school?"
2. M⇤t bao lâu c m⇧t cu⌦n sách 300 trang? "How long does it take to read a 300-page book?"
CULTURAL INSIGHT
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #18 - S ENDING A LETTER HOME FROM VIETNAM 5 Tourist Destinations in Vietnam
Sai Gon Central Post Office is a very popular tourist spot in Ho Chi Minh City. Designed by French architect Gustav Eiffel in the late 19th century, it is famous for its mixed European- Asian architectural style. Located downtown in the city, its ancient atmosphere makes it stand out among the surrounding modern high rise buildings. This combination between the old and the new brings visitors exciting experiences, and the area has become a must-see place on a typical city tour.
You can find postcards of the picturesque places at any tourist destinations in Vietnam, such as One Pillar Pagoda, Hoan Kiem Lake, or West Lake in Ha Noi or the War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, or Sai Gon Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh. A postcard normally costs between 50 and 70 cents, and the postage to send it overseas costs around the same amount, too. Unlike Westerners, Vietnamese people do not usually send postcards to friends or family members when they are traveling. They only send postcards on special occasions, such as birthdays, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and the New Year.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #18 - S ENDING A LETTER HOME FROM VIETNAM 6 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #19 I Can't Find Anything in Vietnam!
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 4 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 6 Cultural Insight
# 19
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. An: M ⇥i, bút bi ⇤ ⌅âu ⇧?
2. Mom: ⌃ trên bàn.
3. An: Cái ⌅⌥a ⇤ ⌅âu ⇧?
4. Mom: ⌃ trong ch⇧n.
5. An: Cái gh ⇤ ⌅âu ⇧?
6. Mom: Có l ⇤ d⌦↵i bàn ho c ⇤ ngoài sân.
ENGLISH
1. An: Mom, where is the ballpoint pen?
2. Mom: On the table.
3. An: Where is the plate?
4. Mom: In the cupboard.
5. An: Where is the chair?
6. Mom: Perhaps under the table or out in the yard.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #19 - I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING IN VIETNAM! 2 có l perhaps, maybe adverb
sân yard noun
m mother, mom noun
bút bi ballpoint pen noun
(denoting a unit of thing for cái counting) noun
bàn table, desk noun
⌅⌥a plate noun
ch⇧n bát cupboard noun
gh chair noun
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Có l h⇥ s không ⇤⌅n. Nhà anh ⇧y có sân r⇧t r⌃ng.
"Perhaps they won’t come." "His house has a very big yard."
Nh⌥ng ⇤ a con trai giúp ⇤ m⌦ chúng. Ng↵ i m⌦ ⇤⇥c cho con gái.
"The sons help their mother." "The mother reads to her daughter."
Tôi m i mua m⌃t cái bút bi. Tôi mu n mua m⌃t cái b✏n ⇤⇣ Hà N⌃i.
"I have just bought a ballpoint pen." "I want to buy a map of Ha Noi."
Tôi c⌘n cái danh b✓ ⇤i◆n tho✓i. M↵ i ngàn ⇤⇣ng m⌃t cái bánh mì.
"I need the phone book." "One bread costs 10,000 dong."
Trên bàn có m⌃t quyn sách. Cái ch✓n m i r⇧t h p v i b⌅p nhà tôi.
"There's a book on the table." "The new cupboard really fits in my kitchen."
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #19 - I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING IN VIETNAM! 3 Trong phòng có m⌃t chi⌅c bàn và m⌃t chi⌅c gh⌅.
"There's a table and a chair in the room."
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE m means "mother," and it is basically a noun, but it is also used as a pronoun when a person is talking with his/her mom. So, s/he calls his/her mom m and calls himself/herself con. On the contrary, the mother calls herself m and calls her child con no matter the gender of the child.
For example:
The mother would say: M v⇥a n⇤u c⌅m t⇧i cho con ⌃⇤y. ("I've just cooked dinner for you.")
The child would say: Con c⌥m ⌅n m . ("Thanks, Mom.") cái is a general noun classifier for objects. A noun is not used alone in Vietnamese. It should be attached to its classifier. For most objects, cái is added before the main noun to indicate those objects.
For example:
1. cái áo: "a shirt"
2. cái qu n: "a pair of trousers"
3. cái ô: "an umbrella"
4. cái k o: "a candy"
GRAMMAR
The Focus of this Lesson Is Spatial Prepositions ⇥ trên bàn "On the table" ⇥ trong ch⇤n
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #19 - I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING IN VIETNAM! 4 "In the cupboard" ⇥ d⌅⇧i bàn "Under the table" ⇥ ngoài sân "Out in the yard"
In this lesson, we will learn the first four basic prepositions for locations in Vietnamese. trên or trên means "on/above." d⌦↵i or d⌦↵i means "under." trong or trong means "in/inside." ngoài or ngoài means "out/outside."
Briefly, these four prepositions can be divided into two pairs: trên-d⌦↵i ("above-under") and trong-ngoài ("in-out").
For example:
1. Tôi treo m t b c tranh phong c⌥nh trên t⌦✏ng. "I hung a landscape painting on the wall."
2. Tôi ⌃⇣ chìa khóa trong túi xách. "I put the key in the handbag."
3. Có m t ⌃ i di⌘u hành ngoài ⌃⌦✏ng. "There's a march out on the street."
4. Có m t cái túi d⌦↵i bàn. "There's a bag under the table."
⌃ means "at/in," and in most cases, it is optional, which means you can use the prepositions trên, trong, or ngoài without adding before them, and it does not change the meaning of the sentence.
It means you can also say:
1. Tôi treo m t b c tranh phong c⌥nh ( ) trên t⌦✏ng "I hung a landscape painting on the wall."
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #19 - I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING IN VIETNAM! 5 2. Tôi ⌃⇣ chìa khóa ( ) trong túi xách. "I put the key in the handbag."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Vietnamese Houses
Vietnamese people love having their own houses instead of living in high-rise apartments. A typical private house would have a yard in front, then the main living space, which would consist of the living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. An's house in the dialogue has the image of such a typical house. Unless they don't have enough money, Vietnamese people love living in a house with at least two stories. As Vietnam's cities are getting narrower and more polluted since the population boom, high and modern buildings are mushrooming, and more people choose to live in an apartment while looking for an opportunity in which they can buy land and have their own house built.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #19 - I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING IN VIETNAM! 6 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #20 Talking About Quantities in Vietnamese
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 3 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 5 Grammar 6 Cultural Insight
# 20
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. An: Trong l p có bao nhiêu ng⇥⇤i?
2. Vân Anh: 10 ng⇥⇤i.
3. An: Trên bàn có m⌅y quy⇧n sách?
4. Vân Anh: 5 quy⇧n.
5. An: B⌃n có m⌅y cái bút?
6. Vân Anh: 3 cái.
ENGLISH
1. An: How many people are there in the class?
2. Vân Anh: Ten people.
3. An: How many books are there on the table?
4. Vân Anh: Five books.
5. An: How many pens do you have?
6. Vân Anh: Three pens.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #20 - TALKING ABOUT QUANTITIES IN VIETNAMESE 2 l p class, grade noun
có "to have" verb
bao nhiêu "how many", "how much" phrase
ng⇥⇤i "person", "people" noun
"how many", "how much" -
m⌅y (an alternative to "bao interrogative nhiêu")
quy⇧n volume (of a book) classifier
sách book noun
bút pen noun
SAMPLE SENTENCES
L p tôi có 30 sinh viên. Tôi có m⇥t món quà cho b⇤n.
"There are 30 students in my class." "I have a present for you."
Chúng tôi ph⌅i tr⌅ bao nhiêu? Nhi⇧u ng⌃⌥i ang x p hàng mua vé.
"How much do we have to pay?" "Many people are queuing for tickets."
M⌦i ngày b⇤n ↵n c m m y b a? Quy✏n v⇣ này dày nh⌘.
"How many meals do you have in a day?" "This notebook is so thick."
Ng⌃⌥i m✓ ◆c cho con gái.
"The mother reads to her daughter."
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE l p refers to a class in general. It it usually followed by another noun indicating the type of class.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #20 - TALKING ABOUT QUANTITIES IN VIETNAMESE 3 For example:
1. l p ti⇥ng Anh: "an English class"
2. l p n⇤u ⌅n: "a cooking class"
3. l p yoga: "a yoga class" l p also means "grade" at school. In Vietnam, there are twelve grades, from primary school to high school, before university.
For example:
1. Em gái tôi ⇧ang h⌃c l p 7. "My younger sister is currently in grade seven." có means "to have" and is used to express that someone possesses something, but it is also used to list the components of an object or is used as "there is/are" in English.
For example:
1. Tôi có m⌥t cái xe máy. "I have a motorbike."
2. Nhà tôi có 3 phòng. "There are three rooms in my house."
3. B⌥ chén này có 4 cái chén. "This cup set has four cups." quy⇥n is the classifier for books, notebooks, or any collection of paper that is bound into book form. As we learned in Lesson 19, Vietnamese has different classifiers for nouns, and they are used together.
For example:
1. "One book" is m⌥t quy n sách (not m⌥t sách)
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #20 - TALKING ABOUT QUANTITIES IN VIETNAMESE 4 2. "One notebook" is m⌥t quy n v (not m⌥t v )
3. "One handbook" is m⌥t quy n s⌦ tay (not m⌥t s⌦ tay)
GRAMMAR
The Focus of this Lesson Is How to Ask about Quantity Trong l p có bao nhiêu ng⇤⌅i? "How many people are there in the class?"
The question starts with a spatial phrase indicating the location trong l p, meaning "in the class," followed by có, which means "to have" or "there is/are." The main word comes next- bao nhiêu, which means "how many"-then, finally, add the main noun, which is ng↵ i ("people") in this question. The whole question literally means, "In the class, there are how many people?"
The main part of this question is the verb có and the question word bao nhiêu.
The whole sentence structure is: Subject + có + bao nhiêu + classifier (if any) + object.
The adverb of place can be at the beginning or at the end of the sentence.
For example:
1. Tr↵ ng b n có bao nhiêu sinh viên? "How many students are there in your school?"
2. Quy n truy n này có bao nhiêu ch↵✏ng? "How many chapters are there in this story?"
3. Cô ⇤y có bao nhiêu ng↵ i con? "How many children does she have?"
If you think (or you know for sure) that the number will be fewer than ten, replace bao nhiêu with m⇤y in the question. The other parts remain the same. But please stick to bao nhiêu if you are not sure.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #20 - TALKING ABOUT QUANTITIES IN VIETNAMESE 5 Examples from this dialogue:
1. Trên bàn có m⇤y quy n sách? "How many books are there on the table?" (You don't know exactly how many books there are, but you think or are sure that it is fewer than ten books.)
2. B n có m⇤y cái bút? "How many books do you have?" (You don't know exactly how many pens your friend has, but you think she/he has around ten or fewer.)
Sample Sentences
1. Nhà b n có m⇤y ng↵ i? "How many people are there in your family?"
2. Trên bàn có m⇤y cái c⇣c? "How many glasses are there on the table?"
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Vietnamese Families
Many foreigners think that Vietnamese people live in extended family homes, where there are two or three generations living together under the same roof. Though many people are still living with their parents and children in a house, nuclear families are getting more popular. Young people now want to have their own space and privacy and are afraid of the generation gap, so they choose to rent or buy a new apartment or house after getting married. Basically, the average family home in Vietnam now contains three to four people (mother, father, and one to two children). Vietnamese people are highly family-oriented, and family ties are very close among all members in terms of both emotional and material support. The family's interests are put before those of the individuals. When a family member is in difficulty or trouble, the others believe that helping him/her out of trouble is their most important priority. And when an individual is successful, that success becomes the pride and honor of all family members. In the past, marriages were arranged by the parents of both parties, but, nowadays, the man and woman involved make their own decisions regarding their marriage. However,
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #20 - TALKING ABOUT QUANTITIES IN VIETNAMESE 6 marriage plans and ceremonies are still decided by both parents. The divorce rate in Vietnam is not high, although it is on the increase. Divorce is technically and legally acceptable, but culturally uncommon. Divorced couples, especially the women, were looked at with unforgiving eyes by society and even by their families. So, they try to hang on to the broken relationship because they believe that the children will be happier living in a complete family unit. However, divorce is no longer taboo these days because women have a stronger say and are supported by the law, as well as by society, in pursuit of their happiness and equality.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #20 - TALKING ABOUT QUANTITIES IN VIETNAMESE 7 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #21 Getting Busy in Vietnam
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 3 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 5 Cultural Insight
# 21
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. An: Hi Lan, có r nh không? ⇥i xem phim ⇤i.
2. Lan: ⇥i vào bu⌅i chi⇧u ⇤⌃⌥c không?
3. An: Sao? C u b n à?
4. Lan: , t⌦ ⇤ang h↵c ti ng Anh.
5. An: V y à? Xin l i ⇤ã làm phi⇧n c u nhé.
6. Lan: Không sao, t o n✏a t⌦ g↵i l⇣i nhé. Bye c u.
ENGLISH
1. An: Hi Lan, are you free? Let's go watch a movie.
2. Lan: Can we go in the afternoon?
3. An: Why? Are you busy?
4. Lan: Yes, I'm learning English.
5. An: Really? Sorry for disturbing you.
6. Lan: No problem. I'll call you back in a while. Bye.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #21 - GETTING BUSY IN VIETNAM 2 r nh free, available adjective
bu⌅i chi⇧u afternoon noun
⇤ang in progress adverb
h↵c "to learn" verb
ti ng Anh "English" - language noun
g↵i to call verb
l⇣i "again" adverb
làm phi⇧n to disturb, to bother verb
c u you pronoun
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Mai c u r⇥nh thì ⇤i ch⌅i nhé. Cô ⇧y ⇤ang ⇤⌃c sách.
"If you’re free tomorrow, let’s go out." "She is reading a book."
Anh ta ⇤ang h⌃c ti⌥ng Vi t. Ti⌥ng Nh t r⇧t khó h⌃c.
"He is learning Vietnamese." "Japanese is very difficult to learn."
Ti⌥ng Anh r⇧t thông d ng trên th⌥ gi⌦i. N⌥u c↵n hãy g⌃i tôi.
"English is very popular in the world." "Call me if it's necessary."
Hãy ⇤⌃c l i bài báo này ⇤i. Hi v⌃ng s⌦m g p l i b n!
"Read this article again." "Hope to see you again soon!"
"Xin ⇤ ng làm phi✏n tôi!" C u ⇤ang làm gì v y?
"Don’t disturb me." "What are you doing?"
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #21 - GETTING BUSY IN VIETNAM 3 t o n⇥a is a very useful phrase and is widely used in conversation. It has the same meaning as "a little/a bit." Use it when you want to express that you'll do something in a while or in a short moment.
For example:
1. T o n⇥a tôi s⇤ ⌅i siêu th⇧. "I'll go to the supermarket in a while."
2. A: Khi nào b⌃n g⌥i cho t ? "When will you call me?" B: T o n⇥a nhé. "In a while." nhé is a sentence-ending particle to make a sentence softer and more intimate. làm phi⇤n means "to bother or disturb," and it is commonly used in two sentences: Xin ⌅ ng làm phi⌦n tôi ("Don't disturb me") and Xin l↵i ⌅ã làm phi⌦n ("Sorry for disturbing you"). l⌅i means "again" and is added after the main verb to mean that something is to be done again, such as in làm l⌃i ("do again") or nói l⌃i ("say again"). It also means "back," as in the dialogue: g⌥i l⌃i ("call back") or quay l⌃i ("turn back").
GRAMMAR
The Focus of this Lesson Is the Present Continuous Tense T⇧ ⌃ang h⌥c ti ng Anh. "I'm learning English."
To form the present continuous tense, simply add the adverb ⌅ang, meaning "in progress," before the main verb. The form of the main verb will stay the same no matter whether the subject is singular or plural.
In brief, the structure is S + ⌅ang + main verb + O
As in English, the present continuous tense in Vietnamese is used to describe an action that is in progress or is happening at the moment of speaking.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #21 - GETTING BUSY IN VIETNAM 4 For example:
1. M tôi ⌅ang n u n. "My mother is cooking."
2. Cô y ⌅ang nghe nh⌃c. "She is listening to music."
3. H⌥ ⌅ang ⌅i du l⇧ch. "They are traveling."
ang can be added before an adjective to express the current state or feeling of the speaker.
For example:
1. Tôi ⌅ang b✏n. "I'm (being) busy."
2. Cô y ⌅ang t⇣c gi✏n. "She is (being) angry."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
English Slang in Vietnam
It is trendy in Vietnam for young people to drop the occasional English word into their conversations with friends. Examples of English words that have become Vietnamized and are used in daily Vietnamese are common expressions such as "Hi," "Hello," "Bye," "Okay," and "Thanks." Though they are widely used in communication, it is not common to add these words in writing, especially in official documents. You had better remember the equivalents in Vietnamese in case you need to write them down.
Because English is the most popular foreign language in Vietnam, there are several Vietnamese words that are borrowed from English, such as xì c ng ⌅an ("scandal"), công t⌘ n⌘ ("container"), t✓c xi ("taxi"), tivi ("TV"), etc.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #21 - GETTING BUSY IN VIETNAM 5 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #22 What’s the Weather Like Today in Vietnam?
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 4 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 5 Grammar 6 Cultural Insight
# 22
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. An: B ⇥i, hôm nay th⇤i ti⌅t th⌅ nào ⇧?
2. Father: Hôm nay tr⇤i n⌃ng con ⇧. ⌥ nhà tr⇤i p không?
3. An: Hôm nay ⌦ ây tr⇤i m↵a ⇧, nên con ch i âu c .
4. Father: Mai con có d nh gì không?
5. An: Mai con s✏ i b o tàng v⇣i l⇣p ⇧.
6. Father: Nh⇣ ch⌘p nh và g✓i cho b nhé.
ENGLISH
1. An: Dad, what’s the weather like today?
2. Father: It’s sunny today. Is the weather fine at home?
3. An: It’s raining here, so I’m not going anywhere at all.
4. Father: Any plans for tomorrow?
5. An: I’m going to the museum with my class.
6. Father: Remember to take photos and send them to me.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #22 - WHAT’S THE WEATHER LIKE TODAY IN VIETNAM? 2 b o tàng museum noun
mai tomorrow noun
hôm nay today noun
th⇤i ti⌅t weather noun
tr⇤i n⌃ng it’s sunny phrase
It's fine, It's nice (as in tr⇤i p weather) phrase
tr⇤i m↵a it’s rainy phrase
b - con father - child noun
ch not negative adverb
i to go, to come verb
SAMPLE SENTENCES
B o tàng dân t⇥c h⇤c là m⇥t ⌅i⇧m du l⌃ch Mai là ch nh t.
thú v⌃ ⌥ Hà N⇥i. "Tomorrow is Sunday." "The museum of ethnology is an interesting tourist spot in Ha Noi."
Hôm nay tôi ⌅i b⇥ nhi⌦u h↵n hôm qua. Th i ti t ⌥ Hà N⇥i th nào?
"Today I walked more than yesterday." "What's the weather like in Hanoi?"
Tr i n ng to quá. Tr i ⌅✏p nên tôi ⌅i ng m c nh.
"The weather is too sunny." "The weather is fine so I’m going sightseeing."
B⇣ ↵i, hôm nay con ⌅⌘✓c 10 ⌅i⇧m. Tôi ch thích ◆n cá.
"Dad, I got 10 scores today." "I don’t like eating fish."
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #22 - WHAT’S THE WEATHER LIKE TODAY IN VIETNAM? 3 Hôm nay tôi không ⌅ n tr⌘ ng.
"I don't go to school today."
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE ch + V+ c means "not ....at all." ch ...c means "not ...at all." When it is used with a verb phrase, the verb is turned into a negative form. ch is used in the same way as không, but it is used in daily conversation only —not in written text. While không generally expresses the negative form of an action, ch does not mention the mere fact; rather, it implies the speaker's dissatisfaction or disappointment when the action is not taken.
For example:
• Tôi không hi⇥u gì c = Tôi ch hi⇥u gì c ("I don't understand anything at all.")
• Tôi không hi⇥u gì c merely states the fact that the speaker does not understand.
Tôi ch hi⇥u gì c implies that the speaker doesn't understand because the • explanation is not clear or he/she is not interested in the topic.
Tôi không ⇤i ⇤âu = Tôi ch ⇤i ⇤âu ("I don't go anywhere.") • Tôi không ⇤i ⇤âu merely states the fact that the speaker does not go out.
Tôi ch ⇤i ⇤âu implies that the speaker does not go out, but that this is because the • weather is bad or someone has canceled the date. So, she is not happy staying home, but she has no choice. b⇥ means "father," and con means "child," but they are also used as a pair of pronouns as "I" and "you" between a father and his child talking with each other. The father calls himself b⌅ (meaning "I") and calls his child con (meaning "you"). The child calls him/herself con and calls his/her father b⌅.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #22 - WHAT’S THE WEATHER LIKE TODAY IN VIETNAM? 4 For example:
1. The father would say: Ch⇧ nh⌃t b⌅ ⇤⌥a con ⇤i s thú nhé. ("I will take you to the zoo on Sunday").
2. The child would say: Ch⇧ nh⌃t b⌅ ⇤i s thú v i con nhé. ("You will go to the zoo with me on Sunday, won't you?") b o tàng means "museum." Vietnam has a diversified culture and a long history, so there are a lot of museums. When you want to refer to the type of museum, the noun indicating that type comes after the word b o tàng. The order of words is opposite to that in English.
For example:
1. b o tàng ngh⌦ thu⌃t: "art museum"
2. b o tàng l↵ch s : "historical museum"
3. b o tàng quân ⇤ i: "military museum"
GRAMMAR
The Focus of this Lesson Is Talking about the Weather Hôm nay tr⇤i n⌅ng. "It's sunny today."
The sentence starts with the time phrase hôm nay, meaning "today," followed by tr i n✏ng, which means "It's sunny."
If you want to describe other weather conditions, simply replace tr i n✏ng with other phrases, as follows:
1. tr i m⌥a: "it's rainy/it rains"
2. tr i âm u:"it's cloudy/gloomy"
3. tr i ⇤⇣p/⇤⇣p tr i:"it's fine/nice"
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #22 - WHAT’S THE WEATHER LIKE TODAY IN VIETNAM? 5 The time phrase will also be changed accordingly, depending on the time you want to mention.
So, the whole sentence structure will be: Adverb of time/time phrase + tr i + adj. Examples:
1. Hôm qua tr i âm u. "Yesterday, it was cloudy."
2. Ngày mai tr i m⌥a. "Tomorrow, it will rain"
3. Hôm nay ⇤⇣p tr i/tr i ⇤⇣p. "Today, it's fine/nice."
Language Tip
When you want to ask about weather conditions, start with the time phrase, followed by th i ti⌘t (meaning "the weather"), and finally add th⌘ nào (meaning "how").
Examples in this lesson:
1. Hôm nay th i ti⌘t th⌘ nào? (Literally, "Today the weather how?") "What's the weather like today?"
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Vietnamese Weather
Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate. From Northern to Central Vietnam, there are four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. In the South, there are only dry and rainy seasons, and so the people there enjoy warm weather all year round. The best time to visit Vietnam is in the spring (from January to late March) and in autumn (from mid-August to late October), when the weather is cool with only a little possibility of rainfall.
When it rains, raincoats are used much more than umbrellas. This is because most
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #22 - WHAT’S THE WEATHER LIKE TODAY IN VIETNAM? 6 Vietnamese people use motorbikes as their main means of transportation, and using umbrellas is dangerous.
To serve the needs of motorbike riders, two-headed raincoats have become very popular. That is a raincoat with two caps, and two people riding on one motorbike can wear it comfortably. If you have a chance, please try on that interesting style of raincoats when you visit Vietnam.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #22 - WHAT’S THE WEATHER LIKE TODAY IN VIETNAM? 7 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #23 Getting a Haircut in Vietnam
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 3 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 4 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 5 Grammar 6 Cultural Insight
# 23
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. Linh: Tôi mu n c⇥t tóc ⇤.
2. Hairdresser: Vâng, m⌅i ch⇧ ng⌃i ⌥ây ⇤.
3. Linh: C m n.
4. Hairdresser: Ch⇧ mu n c⇥t ki⌦u gì ⇤?
5. Linh: C⇥t ng⇥n h n ⇤.
6. Hairdresser: Ng⇥n t↵i ⌥âu thì ⌥ c ⇤?
7. Linh: T↵i ngang vai.
8. Hairdresser: Vâng, m⌅i ch⇧ vào g i ⌥✏u tr ↵c ⇤.
ENGLISH
1. Linh: I want to have my hair cut.
2. Hairdresser: Okay, please sit down here.
3. Linh: Thank you.
4. Hairdresser: Which style do you want?
5. Linh: Please make it shorter.
6. Hairdresser: How short is fine?
CONT'D OVER
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #23 - GETTING A HAIRCUT IN VIETNAM 2 7. Linh: To the shoulder.
8. B: Okay, please come have your hair washed first.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
ng⇥n short adjective
h n more adverb
⌥ c fine, okay, nice adjective
vai shoulder noun
g i ⌥✏u to wash hair verb phrase
mu n to want verb
c⇥t to cut verb
tóc hair noun
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Chi c áo này ng⇥n quá. Nhà m⇤i c⌅a tôi r⇧ng h⌃n nhà c⌥.
"This shirt is too short." "My new house is larger than the old one."
M c ⌦ công s↵ n d ti c ✏c không? Món này ✏c ⇣y.
"Is it fine to wear office clothes to the "This food is quite nice." party?"
Váy l ch vai r⇣t ✏c a chu⇧ng. G⇧i ⌘u v⇤i chanh làm m ✏t tóc.
"The one-shoulder dress is very popular." "Washing your hair with lemon makes it smooth."
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #23 - GETTING A HAIRCUT IN VIETNAM 3 Tôi mu✓n g p m◆ tôi. Ng i àn bà c⇥t b ↵i.
"I want to see my mother." "The woman cuts the grapefruit."
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE h n is an adverb added after an adjective or adverb to make its comparative form.
For example:
1. Dài h n: "longer" Lâu r⇥i không g⇤p, tóc cô ⌅y ⇧ã dài h n tr⌃⌥c. "Long time no see. Her hair is longer than before."
2. Nhanh h n: "faster" Anh ⌅y ch y nhanh h n tôi. "He runs faster than me."
3. Ít h n: "less/fewer" Cô ⌅y n ít h n tôi. "She eats less than I do."
⇥⇤⌅c is a very useful adjective. It can complement almost all nouns to express a meaning that something is "quite okay," "quite nice," or "good enough." It is often used with the particle ⇧⌅y.
For example:
1. V⌦ trí ngôi nhà này ⇧⌃↵c ⇧⌅y. "The location of this house is so good."
2. Món n này ⇧⌃↵c ⇧⌅y. "This food is quite good."
The word g⇧i in g i ⇧ u means "to wash," but this translation is used with hair only. In other cases, "to wash" is translated as r a.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #23 - GETTING A HAIRCUT IN VIETNAM 4 For example:
1. g i ⇧ u: "to wash hair"
2. r a bát: "to wash the dishes"
3. r a m⇤t: "to wash the face"
4. r a xe: "to wash the car"
GRAMMAR
The Focus of this Lesson Is Saying What You Want To Do Tôi mu⌃n c⌥t tóc "I want to have my hair cut."
Start with tôi, meaning "I," followed by the verb mu✏n, meaning "to want." Then, add the main verb stating the action, which is c⇣t tóc ("have a haircut") in this sentence. The last word, , is a particle used to make the sentence more formal, which is optional.
The whole sentence structure will be: S + mu✏n + main verb + object.
Examples:
1. Tôi mu✏n n sô cô la. "I want to eat chocolate."
2. Tôi mu✏n h⌘c ti✓ng Nh◆t. "I want to learn Japanese."
If you want to talk about something that another person wants, simply change the subject of the sentence. The rest remains unchanged, no matter whether the new subject is singular or plural.
Examples:
1. Cô ⌅y mu✏n n sô cô la. "She wants to eat chocolate."
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #23 - GETTING A HAIRCUT IN VIETNAM 5 2. H⌘ mu✏n h⌘c ti✓ng Nh◆t. "They want to learn Japanese."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Haircuts in Vietnam
Having a haircut in Vietnam is easy. You can find hair salons everywhere, ranging from single hairdressers working by themselves on the street to stylish hair and beauty salons located in the city center. But if you choose a salon randomly, it is not guaranteed that you will be satisfied with the hairstyle later on. Make sure you do some research or ask a Vietnamese friend to recommend a good hair salon. Also make sure you bring a picture of the style you want with you. If you are lucky, you will have great hair for a very reasonable price.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #23 - GETTING A HAIRCUT IN VIETNAM 6 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #24 Talking About Weekend Plans in Vietnamese
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 3 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 5 Cultural Insight
# 24
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. An: Cu i tu⇥n này b⇤n s⌅ làm gì?
2. Lan: T⇧ s⌅ ⌃i dã ngo⇤i.
3. An: ⌥, vui nh . B⇤n ⌃i v⇧i ai th ?
4. Lan: V⇧i gia ⌃ình t⇧. Còn b⇤n?
5. An: T⇧ s⌅ ⌃i mua s⌦m v⇧i ch↵.
6. Lan: B⇤n lên ph Bà Tri u y, có nhi u ⌃✏ r⇣ và ⌃⌘p l⌦m.
ENGLISH
1. An: What are you going to do this weekend?
2. Lan: I'm going on a picnic.
3. An: Oh, sounds fun. Who are you going with?
4. Lan: With my family. What about you?
5. An: I will go shopping with my elder sister.
6. Lan: Go to Ba Trieu Street. There are many cheap and nice items.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #24 - TALKING ABOUT WEEKEND PLANS IN VIETNAMESE 2 ch↵ elder sister, you noun,pronoun
ph Bà Tri u Ba Trieu street proper noun
cu i tu⇥n weekend noun
này this pronoun
s⌅ will, to be going to adverb
⌃i dã ngo⇤i to go to a picnic verb phrase
v⇧i with particle; preposition
ai who interrogative word
gia ⌃ình family noun
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Ch tôi là nhà báo. Tôi th⇥⇤ng ⌅i ⇧n nhà hàng vào cu⌃i tu⌥n.
"My elder sister is a journalist." "I often eat out in a restaurant at weekends."
Món này r t ngon. L⌥n này tôi g p may.
"This dish is very delicious." "I am lucky this time."
C⌦u bé này 7 (b↵y) tu i. Ngày mai tôi s ⌅i à N✏ng.
"This boy is seven years old." "Tomorrow I will go to Da Nang."
i dã ngo⇣i r t vui. ⌘i tôi v✓i.
"Going for a picnic is so fun." "Please wait for me."
Ai ⌅ã n u ⇧n t⌃i nay th◆? Gia ⌅ình ⌅ã ⇧n sáng xong.
"Who cooked dinner tonight?" "The family ate breakfast."
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #24 - TALKING ABOUT WEEKEND PLANS IN VIETNAMESE 3 i dã ngo⇥i ("going for a picnic") can also be phrased in a half-English, half-Vietnamese way, which is i picnic. The word picnic is now understood by all Vietnamese as a Vietnamese word, so if it is difficult for you to pronounce dã ngo⇥i, you can use the phrase i picnic.
For example:
1. Ch⇤ nh⌅t này c⇧ l⌃p tôi s⌥ i picnic. "This Sunday, our class is going for a picnic."
2. 2. i picnic là m t cách th⌦ giãn t↵t. "Going for a picnic is a good way to relax."
v⇤i means "with" in the dialogue, but it is also used as "and."
For example:
1. Tôi h c cùng l⌃p v⌃i anh y. "I am in the same class as him." Tôi v⌃i anh y là b⇥n h c. "He and I are classmates."
2. Lan v⌃i anh y là m t c p. "Lan and that guy are a couple."
GRAMMAR
The Focus of this Lesson Is the Future Tense T⇤ s⌅ i dã ngo⇥i. "I'm going for a picnic."
To express a future action, add the adverb s⌥ (meaning "will/going to") before the main verb. No verb form will be changed, regardless of the subject. The time phrase (optional) can be added at the beginning or the end of the sentence.
The whole sentence structure will be: Subject + s⌥ + main verb + Object
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #24 - TALKING ABOUT WEEKEND PLANS IN VIETNAMESE 4 For example:
1. Ngày mai tôi s⌥ mua tivi m⌃i. "Tomorrow, I'm going to buy a new TV."
2. Cô y s⌥ t↵t nghi✏p ⇥i h c vào tháng t⌃i. "She is going to graduate from university next month."
3. Tôi s⌥ làm xong vi✏c s⌃m. "I will finish the work soon."
4. Tôi s⌥ g i cho cô y ngay. "I will call her immediately."
Examples from this dialogue:
1. T⌃ s⌥ i mua s⇣m v⌃i ch⌘ "I will go shopping with my elder sister."
Language Tip
Some common future time expressions in Vietnamese are:
1. Mai/ngày mai: "tomorrow" (Usually at the beginning of the sentence. If it comes at the end, you should say vào ngày mai (literally, "on tomorrow"))
2. Tu✓n/tháng/n◆m t⌃i: "next week/month/year" (Usually at the beginning of the sentence. If it comes at the end, you should say vào tu✓n/tháng/n◆m t⌃i (literally, "at next week/month/ year"))
3. S⌃m: "soon" (can be added only at the end of the sentence)
4. Ngay: "Immediately" (can be added only at the end of the sentence or right after the main verb)
CULTURAL INSIGHT
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #24 - TALKING ABOUT WEEKEND PLANS IN VIETNAMESE 5 Family Parties
On weekends, Vietnamese family members often gather in one place (usually at their parents' house) and have a small party together. Everyone prepares food together and enjoys spending time with loved ones. Because they eat rice everyday, they usually want to eat noodles or hot pots during the weekends. Vietnamese people love to drink, too. At a family party, everyone drinks beer or soft drinks and talks about many topics relating to work, school, children, etc. But because of the demands of modern and busy lives, more families now tend to go to a restaurant or eat at a picnic or barbecue instead of cooking by themselves. Young families also choose to hang out with friends in shopping malls or department stores.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #24 - TALKING ABOUT WEEKEND PLANS IN VIETNAMESE 6 LESSON NOTES Absolute Beginner S1 #25 Getting Home Late in Vietnam
CONTENTS
2 Vietnamese 2 English 2 Vocabulary 3 Sample Sentences 4 Vocabulary Phrase Usage 4 Grammar 5 Cultural Insight
# 25
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VIETNAMESE
1. Mai: Linh à, v mu⇥n th⇤ em?
2. Linh: Vâng.
3. Mai: ⌅ã ⇧n t⌃i ch⌥a?
4. Linh: Em ã ⇧n công ty r⌦i ↵.
5. Mai: Th⇤ à? D↵o này có v b n nh ?
6. Linh: Vâng, em s✏p ph⇣i n⇥p báo cáo ↵
ENGLISH
1. Mai: Hey Linh, you're coming home so late.
2. Linh: Yes.
3. Mai: Have you had dinner already?
4. Linh: I already ate at the company.
5. Mai: Really? You seem very busy these days.
6. Linh: Right. I will have to submit a report soon.
VOCABULARY
Vietnamese English Class
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #25 - GETTING HOME LATE IN VIETNAM 2 to submit, to hand-in, to pay n⇥p money verb
báo cáo report noun
s✏p (will) … soon adverb
b n busy adjective
có v to seem verb
v to return, to come back verb
Mu⇥n late adjective
“I” to a younger person; em “You” to an older person pronoun
⇧n t⌃i to have dinner verb phrase
ã did (past tense) verb
r⌦i "already" adverb
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Mai là h n n⇥p ti⇤n h⌅c. Tôi ⇧ã g⌃i báo cáo cho s⌥p.
"Tomorrow is the deadline for paying "I sent the report to my boss." tuition fees."
Tôi s p ⇧ ⌦c ngh↵ hè. Tôi b n làm báo cáo c tu n nay.
"I will soon have a summer holiday." "I have been busy writing reports the whole week."
T✏i nay tr⇣i có v⌘ l nh. Hôm nay tôi v⇤ s✓m.
"It seems cold tonight." "I came home early today."
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #25 - GETTING HOME LATE IN VIETNAM 3 Sáng nay tôi ⇧ã ⇧i làm mu⇥n. Em ⇧ang làm gì ⇧◆y?
"I was late for work this morning." "What are you doing?"(ask a younger person)
Tôi ít n t✏i nhà. Cô ◆y ⇧ã t✏t nghi p tháng tr ✓c.
"I seldom have dinner at home." "She graduated last month."
Xin l⌫i, tôi làm v⇠ cái c✏c c⇡a b n r⇢i. / Không sao.
"I'm sorry, I broke your cup already." / "Never Mind."
VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE
The verb v means "to return or come back," but it also means "return home" if you're back from work or school. The whole phrase should be v nhà (nhà means "home"), but in case of returning home from work or school, using only v is fully understood.
For example:
1. C⇥u v⇤a v à? "Have you just returned (from school)?"
2. Hôm nay b⌅ v s⇧m. "Dad came home (from work) early today." em means "younger brother or sister," but it is also used as a pronoun. When you talk with a younger person, you call him/her em, so em means "you" here. On the contrary, when you talk with an older person, you call yourself em, so em means "I or me" here.
For example:
1. To your younger sister: Em ⌃ã làm bài t⇥p ch⌥a? ("Did you do your homework?")
2. To your elder sister: Em ⌃ã làm xong bài t⇥p r i . ("I have already done my homework.")
GRAMMAR
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #25 - GETTING HOME LATE IN VIETNAM 4 The Focus of this Lesson Is Past Tense Em ⇥ã ⇤n ⌅ công ty r⇧i ⌃. "I already ate at the company."
To form the past tense, add the adverb ⌃ã, meaning "already," in front of the main verb, then add r i (also meaning "already") after the main verb if there's no object, or after the object if any. This verb structure won't change no matter whether the subject is singular or plural.
The whole sentence structure will be:
S + ⌃ã + main verb + O + r i.
In the sample sentence, the speaker said, Em ⌃ã ⌦n ("I already ate") + ↵ công ty ("at the company") + r i ("already") + . Because she is speaking with an older woman, she called herself em and added at the end to show respect to the other speaker. The pair ⌃ã...r i expresses that some action has already been completed at the time of speaking. When the time expression is used, it can be added at the beginning of the sentence or after the verb phrase and in front of r i.
For example:
1. Hôm qua tôi ⌃ã làm xong vi c r i. "I finished work yesterday."
2. Cô y ⌃ã v th⌦m ông bà tu n tr⌥⇧c r i. "She returned home to visit her grandparents last week."
When there is no past time expression, the past tense is very similar to the present perfect tense.
For example:
1. Tôi ⌃ã làm xong vi c r i. "I have finished work."
2. Cô y ⌃ã v th⌦m ông bà r i. "She has returned home to visit her grandparents."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #25 - GETTING HOME LATE IN VIETNAM 5 Neighbors
Neighbors in Vietnam are very close to each other. It is very common to ask the people next door about their daily activities, as happened in the dialogue of this lesson. Some neighbors are as close as friends: They eat together on special occasions, gather after dinner to talk or watch TV, share their daily stories, and help each other when needed. But sometimes it may get inconvenient when the neighbors know too much about your family, while young people want to keep private matters to themselves. That's why people in the younger generation are not as close to their neighbors as the people in the older generation are.
VIETNAMESEPOD101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S 1 #25 - GETTING HOME LATE IN VIETNAM 6 Intro 13 Booking a Hotel Room in Vietnam 1 Introducing Yourself in Vietnamese 14 Taking a Taxi in Vietnam 2 Asking Someone's Name in Vietnamese 15 Enjoying a Delicious Vietnamese Meal 3 Talking About Nationality in Vietnamese 16 Asking Formal Questions in Vietnamese 4 Talking About Ages in Vietnamese 17 What Do You Do in Your Free Time in Vietnam? 5 Saying Thanks in Vietnamese 18 Sending a Letter Home From Vietnam 6 Saying Sorry in Vietnamese 19 I Can't Find Anything in Vietnam! 7 Which Vietnamese Company Do You Work For? 20 Talking About Quantities in Vietnamese 8 Losing Track of the Days in Vietnam 21 Getting Busy in Vietnam 9 What Time Is It In Vietnam? 22 What’s the Weather Like Today in Vietnam? 10 Catching Up With An Old Friend in Vietnam 23 Getting a Haircut in Vietnam 11 Bargaining At A Vietnamese Market 24 Talking About Weekend Plans in Vietnamese 12 Ordering A Delicious Vietnamese Meal 25 Getting Home Late in Vietnam
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