6 minute story
Morning at the Market
A short beginner story for recognizing shopping phrases in context.
Story
You see mangoes and ask Bao nhiêu tiền?. The seller answers quickly, so you ask Nói chậm hơn. You buy half a kilo and say Cảm ơn.
Useful language
| Vietnamese | English | Practice note |
|---|---|---|
| Bao nhiêu tiền? | How much is it? | The key market phrase. |
| Bao nhiêu một ký? | How much per kilo? | Useful for fruit and vegetables. |
| Mắc quá | Too expensive | Common bargaining phrase. |
| Bớt được không? | Can you lower the price? | Polite bargaining. |
| Tôi lấy cái này | I will take this one | Use while pointing. |
| Cho tôi cái kia | Please give me that one | Use when pointing farther away. |
| Nửa ký | Half a kilo | Useful for fruit and food. |
| Một ký | One kilo | Common quantity. |
Read it again
Read the story once for meaning. Read it a second time and pause at each Vietnamese phrase. On the third pass, cover the English translation and see if the situation helps you remember the phrase.
Practice
Imagine the same scene tomorrow. Change one detail: the location, the price, the drink, the person, or the time. Say the Vietnamese phrase again with that new detail in mind.
Story phrases
Bao nhiêu tiền?
How much is it?
The key market phrase.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Native audio planned. This card is text-first until the Southern Vietnamese recording is connected.
Bao nhiêu một ký?
How much per kilo?
Useful for fruit and vegetables.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Native audio planned. This card is text-first until the Southern Vietnamese recording is connected.
Mắc quá
Too expensive
Common bargaining phrase.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Native audio planned. This card is text-first until the Southern Vietnamese recording is connected.
Bớt được không?
Can you lower the price?
Polite bargaining.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Native audio planned. This card is text-first until the Southern Vietnamese recording is connected.
Tôi lấy cái này
I will take this one
Use while pointing.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Native audio planned. This card is text-first until the Southern Vietnamese recording is connected.
Cho tôi cái kia
Please give me that one
Use when pointing farther away.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Native audio planned. This card is text-first until the Southern Vietnamese recording is connected.
Nửa ký
Half a kilo
Useful for fruit and food.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Native audio planned. This card is text-first until the Southern Vietnamese recording is connected.
Một ký
One kilo
Common quantity.
Say it
Listen first, then use these tone cues.
Native audio planned. This card is text-first until the Southern Vietnamese recording is connected.
Finish this story
Ready to mark complete?
Mark complete only after you have listened, practiced, and saved at least one useful phrase. Then continue straight to the next task.
Listen to at least 3 phrases
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
Check that you can recall the idea, not only read it.
Mark this page complete
Completion is manual so you stay in control.