Vietnamese vocabulary is very diverse, rich, and has many syllables. Those who learn the language may encounter many difficulties in the early stages of learning. Therefore, the word “yes” in Vietnamese is a basic word you must understand clearly to know how to communicate. In this article, VTJ will provide more information to help you consolidate your knowledge of the word “yes” in Vietnamese.

How many meanings does the word ‘“yes” have in Vietnamese and how to use it?

Meaning of the word yes in Vietnamese

Depending on the situation, circumstances, and the person you are talking to, the word “yes” shows different understandings and meanings. It can be used in cases with meanings such as:

• Agree, and approve certain opinions or issues
• Confirm that the information is correct
• As a filler word in front, explain the meaning of the following part of the sentence.
• Answer the question yes or no.

How to say yes in Vietnamese

In Vietnamese, the word “yes” means “có”. The word “yes (có)” is a word with 2 syllables and a sharp tone. For easier understanding, an example is:

• Person 1: Do you want a cup of milk tea? (Bạn có muốn uống một cốc trà sữa không?)
• Person 2: Yes! (Có!)

A few small notes, the word “yes (có)” cannot be used or replaced for the word “have” in English because these two words are different in their position and purpose. The word “yes (có)” in Vietnamese in some cases can be transferred to English and use the word have. But the word “have” is often in the verb position to link the subject and predicate together.

For example, I have a very nice white car. (Tôi có một chiếc ô tô màu trắng rất đẹp).

Read more: Good Night in Vietnamese: Meaning and Usage

Pronunciation of the word yes in Vietnamese

Pronunciation of the word “yes” in Vietnamese

Featured Job

View All

Currently, the Vietnamese alphabet has 29 letters, of which 22 letters are the same as English, and 7 letters have been modified with additional accents. To this day, the tones have been developed into 6 different tones.

• Unmarked ( thanh ngang )
• Grave accent ( thanh huyền )
• Tilde ( thanh ngã )
• Hook above ( thanh hỏi )
• Acute accent ( thanh sắc )
• Underdot ( thanh nặng )

Say Yes in Vietnamese with one syllable

For words with one syllable, it is pronounced relatively easier like:

• “Có”: acute accent, the tone rises a little at the end
• “Được”: underdot, a warm voice with a pronunciation of 4 combined words
• “Dạ”: also a low tone but with 2 words combined easier than 4 words
• “Vâng”: unmarked, no rising and no falling tone
• “Ừ”: grave accent, can be understood as the word okay

Say Yes in Vietnamese with two syllables

With words with 2 syllables, you will need to learn carefully and a little more. Because the words behind are different but it only complements the word before. Besides, it can be a little more difficult to pronounce with 2 words.

• “Đúng vậy”: the combination of an acute accent with a low tone and a falling tone
• “Đúng rồi”: the combination of an acute accent and a grave accent
• “Dạ vâng!”: the combination of an underdot and an unmarked

Read more: “I miss you” in Vietnamese: Expressions and Interesting Usage

Synonyms of the word yes in Vietnamese

With the diversity of the alphabet, the sentence structure in Vietnamese today is very rich so that a native speaker can understand all aspects of it. The tone system has gradually developed and become a familiar melody in daily communication. At the same time, it is very normal for a word to have many meanings and many different ways of expression. And the word “yes (có)” in Vietnamese is one of those words.

Synonyms are: Of course! ( Chắc chắn rồi!), Sounds good! (Nghe hay đấy!), Exactly! (Chính xác!), Of course! (Đương nhiên), Obviously! (Hiển nhiên), Okay! (Được!)

Some words in Vietnamese seem easy to understand but are easily misunderstood, short but have many different meanings and ways of expressing. That is why VTJ always respects foreigners who learn the language of VietNam. Hopefully, the detailed explanations of the word “yes (có)” in Vietnamese above will help you understand many aspects and use the word most appropriately.