Arrival basics
After landing, you need luggage, money, a SIM, and the exit or app pickup area.
Airport phrases work best with pointing and short questions.
Southern Vietnamese
Vietnamese Airport Phrases
Survival phrases for arrivals, baggage, and airport transport.
Quick answer
In one sentence
Use these airport phrases for luggage, gates, SIM cards, app pickup, delays, and asking staff for help.
- Use this page when arriving, departing, or solving a travel problem at a Vietnamese airport.
- Start with: Cho tôi hỏi, Lấy hành lý ở đâu?, Xe công nghệ ở đâu?.
Mini lesson
Use this when...
Use this page when arriving, departing, or solving a travel problem at a Vietnamese airport.
Phrase guide shortcuts
Useful quick answers
Real situations
Departure basics
For departures, focus on check-in, luggage, gate, and delays.
Many airport workers understand some English, but Vietnamese helps when signs are crowded.
When something goes wrong
Use direct phrases for lost luggage or general assistance.
Stay concise; the staff needs the problem first.
All phrases
Play normal audio first, then slow audio, then save only the phrases you will actually need.
Tôi muốn đổi tiền
I want to exchange money
Useful after landing.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Tôi toi level Keep the voice steady and level. muốn muon rising Keep the final n short. đổi doi dipping Đ starts like English d; do not say z. tiền tien falling Keep the final n short.
Vietnamese spelling
Tôi → tờ ôi tôi
muốn → mờ uôn muôn sắc muốn
đổi → đờ ôi đôi hỏi đổi
tiền → tờ iên tiên huyền tiền
Lấy hành lý ở đâu?
Where do I get luggage?
Ask airport staff.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Lấy lay rising Lift the voice upward. hành hanh falling Let the voice fall gently. lý ly rising Lift the voice upward. ở o dipping Dip slightly, then recover. đâu dau level Đ starts like English d; do not say z.
Vietnamese spelling
Lấy → lờ ây lây sắc Lấy
hành → hờ anh hanh huyền hành
lý → lờ y ly sắc lý
ở → ơ hỏi ở
đâu → đờ âu đâu
Cửa ra ở đâu?
Where is the exit?
Good for arrivals.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Cửa cua dipping Dip slightly, then recover. ra ra level Keep the voice steady and level. ở o dipping Dip slightly, then recover. đâu dau level Đ starts like English d; do not say z.
Vietnamese spelling
Cửa → cờ ưa cưa hỏi Cửa
ra → rờ a ra
ở → ơ hỏi ở
đâu → đờ âu đâu
Cửa lên máy bay ở đâu?
Where is the gate?
Useful for departures.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Cửa cua dipping Dip slightly, then recover. lên len level Keep the final n short. máy may rising Lift the voice upward. bay bay level Keep the voice steady and level. ở o dipping Dip slightly, then recover. đâu dau level Đ starts like English d; do not say z.
Vietnamese spelling
Cửa → cờ ưa cưa hỏi Cửa
lên → lờ ên lên
máy → mờ ay may sắc máy
bay → bờ ay bay
ở → ơ hỏi ở
đâu → đờ âu đâu
Chuyến bay bị trễ
The flight is delayed
Important travel phrase.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Chuyến chuyen rising Keep the final n short. bay bay level Keep the voice steady and level. bị bi heavy Drop the voice low and short. trễ tre broken Use a short broken rise.
Vietnamese spelling
Chuyến → chờ uyên chuyên sắc Chuyến
bay → bờ ay bay
bị → bờ i bi nặng bị
trễ → trờ ê trê ngã trễ
Tôi muốn check-in
I want to check in
Use at airline counters.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Tôi toi level Keep the voice steady and level. muốn muon rising Keep the final n short. check-in check-in level Keep the final n short.
Vietnamese spelling
Tôi → tờ ôi tôi
muốn → mờ uôn muôn sắc muốn
check-in → chờ eckin checkin
Tôi có hành lý ký gửi
I have checked luggage
Baggage counter phrase.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Tôi toi level Keep the voice steady and level. có co rising Lift the voice upward. hành hanh falling Let the voice fall gently. lý ly rising Lift the voice upward. ký ky rising Lift the voice upward. gửi gui dipping Dip slightly, then recover.
Vietnamese spelling
Tôi → tờ ôi tôi
có → cờ o co sắc có
hành → hờ anh hanh huyền hành
lý → lờ y ly sắc lý
ký → cờ y ky sắc ký
gửi → gờ ưi gưi hỏi gửi
Sim điện thoại ở đâu?
Where are phone SIMs?
Useful at airport kiosks.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Sim sim level Keep the voice steady and level. điện dien heavy Đ starts like English d; do not say z. thoại thoai heavy Drop the voice low and short. ở o dipping Dip slightly, then recover. đâu dau level Đ starts like English d; do not say z.
Vietnamese spelling
Sim → sờ im sim
điện → đờ iên điên nặng điện
thoại → thờ oai thoai nặng thoại
ở → ơ hỏi ở
đâu → đờ âu đâu
Xe công nghệ ở đâu?
Where is app pickup?
For Grab-style pickup areas.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Xe xe level Keep the voice steady and level. công cong level Keep the voice steady and level. nghệ nghe heavy Start with the back-of-mouth ng sound. ở o dipping Dip slightly, then recover. đâu dau level Đ starts like English d; do not say z.
Vietnamese spelling
Xe → xờ e xe
công → cờ ông công
nghệ → ngờ ê nghê nặng nghệ
ở → ơ hỏi ở
đâu → đờ âu đâu
Tôi bị mất hành lý
I lost my luggage
Important emergency phrase.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Tôi toi level Keep the voice steady and level. bị bi heavy Drop the voice low and short. mất mat rising Lift the voice upward. hành hanh falling Let the voice fall gently. lý ly rising Lift the voice upward.
Vietnamese spelling
Tôi → tờ ôi tôi
bị → bờ i bi nặng bị
mất → mờ ât mât sắc mất
hành → hờ anh hanh huyền hành
lý → lờ y ly sắc lý
Tôi cần hỗ trợ
I need assistance
Useful if you are stuck.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Tôi toi level Keep the voice steady and level. cần can falling Keep the final n short. hỗ ho broken Use a short broken rise. trợ tro heavy Drop the voice low and short.
Vietnamese spelling
Tôi → tờ ôi tôi
cần → cờ ân cân huyền cần
hỗ → hờ ô hô ngã hỗ
trợ → trờ ơ trơ nặng trợ
Cho tôi hỏi
May I ask?
Polite opener for airport staff.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Cho cho level Keep the voice steady and level. tôi toi level Keep the voice steady and level. hỏi hoi dipping Dip slightly, then recover.
Vietnamese spelling
Cho → chờ o cho
tôi → tờ ôi tôi
hỏi → hờ oi hoi hỏi hỏi
Cảm ơn
Thank you
Close the interaction politely.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Cảm cam dipping Dip slightly, then recover. ơn on level Keep the final n short.
Vietnamese spelling
Cảm → cờ am cam hỏi Cảm
ơn → ơn
Tôi muốn hỏi về sân bay
I want to ask about the airport
Use this to open a the airport conversation.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Tôi toi level Keep the voice steady and level. muốn muon rising Keep the final n short. hỏi hoi dipping Dip slightly, then recover. về ve falling Let the voice fall gently. sân san level Keep the final n short. bay bay level Keep the voice steady and level.
Vietnamese spelling
Tôi → tờ ôi tôi
muốn → mờ uôn muôn sắc muốn
hỏi → hờ oi hoi hỏi hỏi
về → vờ ê vê huyền về
sân → sờ ân sân
bay → bờ ay bay
Bạn giúp tôi về sân bay được không?
Can you help me with the airport?
A polite help request.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Bạn ban heavy Keep the final n short. giúp giup rising Lift the voice upward. tôi toi level Keep the voice steady and level. về ve falling Let the voice fall gently. sân san level Keep the final n short. bay bay level Keep the voice steady and level. được duoc heavy Đ starts like English d; do not say z. không khong level Keep the voice steady and level.
Vietnamese spelling
Bạn → bờ an ban nặng Bạn
giúp → giờ up giup sắc giúp
tôi → tờ ôi tôi
về → vờ ê vê huyền về
sân → sờ ân sân
bay → bờ ay bay
được → đờ ươc đươc nặng được
không → khờ ông không
Mini dialogue
You
Cho tôi hỏi, lấy hành lý ở đâu?
May I ask, where do I get luggage?
Staff
Ở bên kia.
Over there.
You
Xe công nghệ ở đâu?
Where is app pickup?
You
Cảm ơn.
Thank you.
Practice ladder
- 1 Play the first phrase at normal speed once.
- 2 Play it slowly, then repeat it aloud without reading English.
- 3 Cover the Vietnamese and recall it from the situation.
- 4 Save only the phrases you would actually need this week.
- 5 Review saved phrases tomorrow before learning new ones.
Common mistakes
- Do not ask several airport questions in one long sentence.
- Do not use taxi phrases before you know where the pickup area is.
- Do not panic if staff answers partly in English; keep your Vietnamese phrase ready.
Cultural notes
- Vietnamese airports may use both English and Vietnamese signs, but app pickup areas can still be confusing.
- Cho tôi hỏi is a useful opener when approaching airport staff.
Meaning check
Quick practice
You need the app pickup area after landing. Which phrase fits?
Finish this phrasebook
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Use normal audio first, then slow audio.
Save at least 1 phrase
Only save phrases you would actually reuse.
Finish the quiz or practice task
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FAQ
How should I practice this phrasebook?
Start with the Learn these first section, listen at normal speed, repeat slowly, then save only the phrases you expect to use.
Do I need to memorize every phrase on this page?
No. Memorize the first urgent or high-frequency phrases, then use scenarios and spaced review to add the rest gradually.