Vietnamese typically greet each other with a bow or nod and say “Xin chao” which means “hello” in Vietnamese. Handshakes are also commonly used, especially when meeting in a formal or business setting.
Vietnamese greetings often involve a combination of verbal and non-verbal gestures. While the most common greeting is saying “Xin chao” which means “hello” in Vietnamese, there are other manners in which Vietnamese people greet each other. Let’s dive deeper into the details of how Vietnamese greet.
- Traditional Bow or Nod: When meeting someone, it is customary in Vietnamese culture to bow or nod as a sign of respect. The depth of the bow typically depends on the relationship between the individuals. A slight bow or nod is common among friends and peers, while a deeper bow is used to show respect to elders or individuals of higher social status.
“Respect for others is the highest form of wisdom.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
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Handshakes: Handshakes are also quite common, especially in formal or business settings. Vietnamese people have adopted handshakes as a result of cultural exchanges and globalization. However, it’s important to note that handshakes may not be as common in more traditional or rural areas.
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Eye Contact: Maintaining eye contact during greetings is considered polite and respectful in Vietnamese culture. It shows sincerity and interest in the person you are greeting.
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Addressing Others: Vietnamese culture places a strong emphasis on hierarchy and age. It is common to add an appropriate title when addressing someone, such as “anh” (older brother), “chi” (older sister), “bac” (uncle), or “co” (aunt), followed by their first name. This helps establish the relationship and shows respect.
Interesting facts about Vietnamese greetings:
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Vietnamese people often greet each other by asking “An com chua?”, which translates to “Have you eaten rice yet?”. This phrase reflects the importance of food and hospitality in Vietnamese culture.
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A traditional Vietnamese greeting gesture known as “namaste” involves clasping both hands together in a prayer-like position and bowing slightly. This gesture is more prevalent among the older generation.
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The Vietnamese New Year, known as Tet, is an important occasion when greetings play a significant role. People exchange well-wishes, such as “Chuc mung nam moi” (Happy New Year) and “An khang thinh vuong” (Wishing you peace and prosperity).
Now, let’s take a look at a table summarizing the different greetings used in Vietnam:
| Greeting Gesture | Usage |
|---|---|
| Xin chao | Common greeting, suitable for various occasions |
| Bow or Nod | Sign of respect, depth depends on relationship |
| Handshake | Common in formal or business settings |
| Eye Contact | Shows sincerity and interest |
| Adding titles | Reflects hierarchy and age, shows respect |
In conclusion, Vietnamese greetings encompass a blend of verbal and non-verbal gestures that emphasize respect, hierarchy, and cultural traditions. Whether it’s a simple nod, a warm handshake, or a friendly “Xin chao,” Vietnamese people value politeness and sincerity in their greetings. As Thich Nhat Hanh said, “Respect for others is the highest form of wisdom.”
See related video
In this section of the video, Lena provides a clear explanation on how to greet someone and ask how they’re doing in Vietnamese. She suggests using “job” or “chào bạn” to say hello, and “khỏe không?” or “khỏe không bạn?” to inquire about someone’s well-being. If someone asks how you are, you can respond with “mình khỏe” to indicate that you’re fine. Lena then reinforces the greetings by reiterating “job,” “àm không,” and “mình khỏe.”
On the Internet, there are additional viewpoints
Meeting and Greeting The Vietnamese generally shake hands both when greeting and when saying good-bye. Shake with both hands, and bow your head slightly to show respect. Bow to the elderly who do not extend their hand. Vietnamese women are more inclined to bow their head slightly than to shake hands.
How Vietnamese people actually greet each other
- 1. The first way is “chào + personal pronoun” Ví dụ: (eg) chào chị,
- 2. You can greet them with their pronoun only or “pronoun + hả!”, without saying “chào”. Ví dụ:
You can use both Xin chào or Chào to greet someone in Vietnam. The more casual way to say hello to someone is Chào. You can also use it to say goodbye.
How Do the Vietnamese Greet Each Other? Vietnamese men generally great each other by shaking hands and bowing slightly. However, when greeting women, they bow slightly and nod because Vietnamese women commonly avoid physical contact with the opposite sex and do not shake hands.
I am confident you will be intrigued
How do you greet someone in Vietnamese?
The response is: Xin chào is the safest, most polite way of saying “hello” in Vietnamese. You can use it to greet anybody. It’s easy to remember because chào sounds just like the Italian greeting “ciao”, which is often used in English. The accent on chào tells you that it’s pronounced using the “falling tone”.
How do you say hi in Vietnamese?
How to say hello in vietnamese. Hello xin chao xin chao xin chao how to say hello in vietnamese.
How do you greet a Vietnamese elder?
The answer is: Elders should be greeted especially respectfully. One can hold both their hands while greeting. If they do not extend their hand, a respectful bow should be made instead. It is expected that the gaze of the younger person be lowered from the elder’s eyes during the greeting.
What is the meaning of Xin Chao?
Answer: hello
xin chào • (吀嘲) (formal) hello. (formal) greetings.
What are the most common Vietnamese greetings?
Response will be: Here are some of the most common Vietnamese greetings you should learn: Vietnamese people usechào or xin chào to say hello. However, they never greet someone by saying just chào. There’s always a pronoun or noun added to it, like what we’ve learned earlier.
How do you Say Hello in Vietnamese?
Response will be: This method is practiced frequently and it is not completely difficult if you know how to use the pronouns in Vietnamese. Basically, it is similar to “Hello you”, “Hello mom”, “Hello Nam” in English. Chào chị: If someone is a female and older than you. Chào anh: If someone is a male and older than you. Chào em: If someone is younger than you.
Do Vietnamese people bow when greeting?
Answer: The answer is not really, in Vietnam, you arenot forced to bow when greeting. Nonetheless, in fact, you can come across some Vietnamese people nodding instead of saying hello. This is regularly used when it is not convenient to talk, or when meeting on the street, or when an elderly person responds to a young person’s greeting.
Why do Vietnamese people not greet people according to the time?
Vietnamese people do not usually greet others according to the time of the day becauseit sounds relatively unnatural. These greetings are: When you want to say “How are you?” in Vietnamese, it means “Bạn có khỏe không? “.
How to greet Vietnamese people?
The answer is: This greeting is more appropriate for non-native speakers because it is the easiest and the most polite way to greet Vietnamese people. Native speakers do not usually say that because it sounds formal. If you get a close relationship with the person you are talking to, let’s use “Chao ban” as a greeting.
How do you Say Hello in Vietnamese?
This method is practiced frequently and it is not completely difficult if you know how to use the pronouns in Vietnamese. Basically, it is similar to “Hello you”, “Hello mom”, “Hello Nam” in English. Chào chị: If someone is a female and older than you. Chào anh: If someone is a male and older than you. Chào em: If someone is younger than you.
How do you Say Goodbye in Vietnam?
Unlike in Japan, the depth of the bow in Vietnam is not a matter. Elderly people always have priority and respect in society Vietnam. So always greet the eldest first. To address someone in a formal way, use Mr. or Ms. with their first name to greet them. When saying goodbye, Vietnamese also shake hands or bow slightly.
How do you Say ‘Good Afternoon’ in Vietnamese?
The afternoon is translated as “buổi chiều” in Vietnamese. However, Vietnamese people don’t really say “Chào buổi chiều! ” (Good afternoon!) to each other. You can say “Buổi tối vui vẻ!” – A happy evening! to greet someone you saw in the evening, from about 6 pm to 10 pm.